Scientists are calling for a ban on killer robots controlled by artificial intelligence.

2020 Rationalist.org — Evolution Tree content

Should the decision to end a life be left to artificial intelligence?

Killer robots are coming for all of us.

Autonomous weapon systems, such as drones, could replace human soldiers on battlefields within a certain timeframe. But is it ethical for artificial intelligence to make such a decision and end a human life?

Autonomous Weapons

At the American Conference on the Advancement of Science in Washington DC, experts reached a clear conclusion: a resounding "No." According to the BBC, experts, including ethics professors and human rights advocates, argued that the development of AI-controlled weapons should be banned.

Mary Wareham, director of Human Rights Watch, told the BBC: “We are not afraid of walking or talking robots taking over the world, we are worried about something more likely; that is, conventional weapons systems becoming autonomous.”

Respecting Human Rights

Another major question that arises is who would be responsible if a machine took a human life? The person who made the machine?

A professor from the New School in New York told the BBC, “Giving a machine the power to take a human life is unjustifiable and constitutes a violation of human rights. Machines are not moral and cannot be forced to make decisions such as taking a life.”

However, not everyone opposes the use of AI-controlled weapon systems. The US and Russia were among several countries that openly opposed a ban on autonomous weapons following negotiations in Geneva in September.

Translator: A. Ege Palaz

References

• Futurism, “Scientists Call for a Ban on AI-Controlled Killer Robots”, < https://futurism.com/scientists-ban-ai-killer-robots >

Rationalist.org/article/killer-robots/

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Originally published on Medium on February 28, 2025. English translation of “Katil Robotlar Yasaklanacak mı?”.