Sawse - Stir it Up!

The Terminator, Robocop, Transformers - whether they stand for good or evil, man has always been fascinated with robotic beings. Technology is developing faster than ever and soon we may be sharing our lives and our space with robots. There are humanoid robots, animal robots and purely utilitarian robots designed carry out various daily chores. Deciding whether the development of robotic science is boon or bane to humanity is an active debate prevalent in modern society.

News from the world of Robots

As if society needs another source of fear and violence, robotic terrorism is on the rise. Technology can sometimes be developed with the worst intentions. Now that the technology is widely available, we must recognize the potential for it to fall into the wrong hands.

A recently released major scientific periodical ran a headline warning the world that we are now under threat by robotic terrorism. It raised the possibility that humanity may someday fall prey to its own machines. This warning was put forth by a professor named Noel Sharkey from the University of Sheffield. He speaks about robotic weapons that are currently under development by the world’s superpowers that may be put to use in battle very soon.

Professor Sharkey addressed the Royal United Services Institute or RUSI for short. He specializes in the field of computer science and raised many vital issues pertaining to the international robot arms race. Robotic engineers have chosen to develop robots that closely impersonate human beings, both in form and behavior. He believes that robots are being developed for the wrong purposes that they will soon replace human beings in such brutal and devastating practices as suicide bombing. Professor Sharkey believes that the implementation of robots as war machines will further disrupt the fragile world peace that exists today.

Some military experts from RUSI agree with the professor and have already begun to warn the world community of such potential dangers. They claim that some robots can be extremely beneficial to the terrorist groups because they can be so difficult to detect through traditional surveillance. Robotic terrorists require very little in the way of supplies and support, making them highly mobile and giving them far more endurance than a human. Very little power may be required for them to operate and they can be fully independent of outside energy sources. Slowly and steadily, robotic weaponry is gaining popularity throughout the world.

The United States Department of Defense is developing many autonomous robotic weapons at a very fast pace. The devastating potential of these weapons may be far reaching. Shocking statistics quote that US has proposed plans of spending $4 billion annually through the year 2010 on technologies related to the construction of unmanned systems. This survey references the Unmanned Systems Roadmap report for 2007-2013. Some believe that in the near future, the research and development funding may grow up to six times of what it is currently.

A lesser form of robot terrorism and insurgency has already started. 4000 robots have been deployed in Iraq and unmanned aircraft have performed almost 400,000 in-flight hours prior to October 2006. Traditionally, such lethal weapons and have been under direct control of human beings. However, autonomy is the newest field of development and many of war machines are now fully automated when performing their deadly functions. Now the robots are those who ultimately decide the fate of the enemy. Following their launch, a great deal of the responsibility for the destruction caused lies solely on the proper functionality of the robots.

Other countries are following the trend. Several European countries, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, India, Russia and Israel are also following the footsteps of US. They are now developing their own robotic and unmanned weaponry programs. Although China has not formally announced the institution of any similar programs, their existence is highly probably and the rate of their development may even outpace that of many others.

Professor Sharkey hosts a TV series called Robot Wars and is often featured on BBC’s Techno Games. He refers to these robots as small genies cannot be put back into their bottles once released into the world. Many believe that copying the robotic weapons developed by major world powers will be an easy task for enemy engineers. Terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba would most likely embrace the concept of robotic terrorism and its use.

An amateur robotic market is thriving as the manufacturing cost the necessary hardware has gone down considerably. As the components become more readily available, it is getting easier for someone with the proper knowledge to assemble robots that may perform a variety of tasks. Autonomous robots are simply the next step in the development process.

It takes a mere £250 to make a GPS-enabled robot and Professor Sharkey is not enthusiastic about such accessibility. He is stunned to see the world embracing such potentially dangerous technology. The ethical and moral ramifications of robotic arms development are highly questionable at best. Most of the robots that exist today are machines that perform a specific function and have no real intelligence. However, once a robot can misbehave and be labeled as criminal, mankind will have a lot of thinking to do about the decisions they have made. It is not hard to imagine a scenario in which our robotic counterparts become more advanced and powerful than ourselves.

World governments should take up the responsibility of seriously debating the issue before what peace we do enjoy is shattered by automated warfare. There are huge risks to be assessed and many believe that despite the unfortunate nature of war, it is best fought with the aid of manned devices.

SOS call

Just imagine yourself staring down the barrel of a gun that is being held by a robot. How could anyone justify dying at the hands of a machine? Robotic terrorism can only be curbed only if people are able to take a critical look at the direction that technology is heading. We must refocus our efforts into developing technology that benefits mankind rather than helping to destroy it.