The risk from robot weapons (via The Statesman/Asia News Network,
published in The Straits Times)

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Abridged info on RISKS (comp.risks)

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[ … OMISSIS …]

Date: Sun, 13 May 2018 16:34:51 -0700
From: Richard M Stein <rmstein@ieee.org>
Subject: The risk from robot weapons (via The Statesman/Asia News Network,
published in The Straits Times)

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/the-risk-from-robot-weapons-the-statesman-contributor

'A letter warning against the coming race of these weapons was signed in
2015 by over 1,000 AI experts.'

'Peter Singer, an expert on future warfare at 'New America", a think tank,
has said that very powerful forces propel the AI arms race - geopolitical
compulsions, scientific advances and profit-seeking high technology
companies.

'Scharre has also raised the possibility that perhaps because of badly
written codes or perhaps because of cyber attack by an adversary, military
use autonomous systems can malfunction, raising possibilities of attack on
people or soldiers on the same side, or escalating conflicts or killing to
unintended, highly exaggerated levels.'

Numerous public proclamations admonishing on AV weapon risks are
insufficient to deter investment and capability pursuit. There's apparently
too much momentum among businesses and governments to deflect this
juggernaut.

With the Manhattan Project, scientific leadership recognized the risks
nuclear weapons raised. Some scientists argued for a demonstration, rather
than deployment, to compel quick Japanese surrender. Nagasaki and Hiroshima
were destroyed to temporarily establish and project US nuclear hegemony as a
deterrent.

Aggressive international diplomacy among progressive governments might
negotiate an non-proliferation of autonomous weaponry treaty (NPAWT), like
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). However,
an enforceable and verifiable treaty is unlikely to timely emerge given
historical human proclivity and myopia, despite empirical evidence that
argues for deliberate restraint and negotiation.

[A timely reminder on the importance of negotiation to cut the risk of
war can be found here
(http://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/11/opinion/nuclear-doomsday-denial.html).]

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Date: Tue, 5 May 2018 11:11:11 -0800
From: RISKS-request@csl.sri.com
Subject: Abridged info on RISKS (comp.risks)

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