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The Rise of AI in Warfare: The Future of Combat
Part 2 — Insights from Stuart Russell’s BBC Reith Lectures
In the second Reith Lecture in the AI series, Professor Stuart Russell from the University of California at Berkeley speaks about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in warfare. The lecture starts with an anecdote about an email he received from Human Rights Watch requesting his support for a new campaign to ban “killer robots” in 2013. Professor Russell goes on to discuss lethal autonomous weapons systems, which are weapons that “locate, select, and engage human targets without human supervision.” He provides several caveats, such as not talking about all uses of AI in military applications and not talking about drones in the sense of aircraft that are remotely piloted by humans.
The Terminology of Autonomous Weapons
Professor Russell provides an explanation of the term “lethal autonomous weapons systems,” which he says is “weapons that locate, select, and engage human targets without human supervision.” He also points out that the word “engage” is a euphemism for “kill.” He emphasizes that autonomous weapons are not science fiction and that they are already available for purchase.
Misconceptions about Autonomous Weapons
Professor Russell says that the image of the rampaging Terminator robot is not accurate. He points out that the Terminators fire a lot of bullets that miss their targets and that autonomous weapons are not science fiction. He adds that the problem is not SkyNet, the global software system that controls the Terminators, and that the US Deputy Secretary of Defense has assured him that there is no risk of accidentally creating SkyNet.
The Potential Dangers of Autonomous Weapons
Professor Russell discusses the potential dangers of autonomous weapons. He says that they could lead to an arms race and that they could be hacked and used against their creators. He adds that they could be used for assassination, and that they could be programmed to target specific groups of people.
