WEIRD WORLD: A new global campaign warns of the dangers of “autonomous weapons” – aka killer robot drones – which could soon present an international threat.
Academics, activists and Nobel peace laureates have joined the call to ban the “killer robots” before they go into production.
Weaponised robots – such as flying Predator drones armed with Hellfire missiles – are already in use by the US and other militaries. But the decision to use their weapons remains, for now, under human control.
The next stage will be to give robots the power to decide if they should attack with their weaponry – the advent of a new age of robot warfare, a development foretold in science fiction movies like The Terminator.
I – Word Understanding
Autonomous – independent
Academics – members of learning institutions
Laureate – a person who won an important prize or honor for achievement in science or art
Weaponized – can be used as a weapon of war
Drone – a pilotless aircraft operated by remote control
II – Have your say
1.There are many terms used referring to drones, such as spy plane, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), RPA (remote piloted aircraft) and for the opposing party, they prefer to call it killer drone.
2.In a conference attended by drone manufactures, a speaker who lamented about cuts to military budget, was interrupted when a woman rushed up to the stage and said “We want spending on education, not war”.
3.Drones are not only for spying. Currently, regulations are being established to be able to use them privately and commercially such as for farming, research and rescue among other things.
055 Stop Killer Robots
