Socially Responsible Roboticists Ponder War Robots

[RoboGuy]

A SanFrancisco Chronicle article offers insights into discussions amongroboticists and computer experts at Stanford's Technology in Wartimeconference. The researches have gathered to "consider the ethicalimplications of wartime technologies and how these technologies arelikely to affect civilization in years to come". Among the topicsdiscussed was whether scientists can create war robots that behave moreethically in battle than human soldiers. One scientist recommended thatroboticists who are asked to work on a military project make sure theysupportthe goals of the organization and that they will be able to publishtheir research. Ronald Arkinnoted that the Pentagon is determined tocreate war-fighting robots, so it's up to socially responsible scientistto make sure the robots are given ethical self-control. Peter Asarocountered that "scientists should not dignify what he considers thenaive notion that robots can be programmed to kill, but only in anethical fashion." He believe robots should not be allowed to makeautonomous "killing decisions".

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