Development Theory

Doomsday headlines warn that the age of “killer robots” is upon us, and that new military technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to the annihilation of the human race. What’s fact and what’s fiction? In The Case for Killer Robots: Why America’s Military Needs to Continue Development of Lethal AI, artificial intelligence expert Robert J. Marks investigates the potential military use of lethal AI and examines the practical and ethical challenges.

AI offers an exciting extension of many human capabilities such as observation, processing, and decision-making. The output and outcomes of AI systems are nearly instantaneous, offering humans powerful efficiencies that did not exist just a few years ago. The computing power and systems used for AI technologies far exceed human cognitive capabilities, allow for constant “machine learning” without human supervision, and include consideration of patterns that are typically impossible for humans to discern.