The Inevitable Future of Autonomous Weapons
Science fiction is, indeed, becoming reality.
Not quite in the way you might think, however. There have always been concerns about “killer robots” and destructive artificial intelligence, or that, one day, the entire human race will be eradicated by man’s very own creation.
The truth is that developing technology, specifically autonomous weapons, isn’t as dangerous or as risky as that belief implies. However, warfare is both of those things. The fact is that warfare will always exist, and that, as a result, people will always be searching for a more effective way to wage war, and, if possible, a safer way. Autonomous weapons make it possible to do that. These unmanned weapons can select and engage targets independently, in the form of drones, robots, and vehicles, to name a few; and they can save lives. Given the potential of autonomous weapons, they are necessary to humankind, especially if we want to stay up to speed with the technological developments occurring in other nations.
In any case, the U.S. military is already using such weapons. In 2016, Lockheed Martin, a company that develops them, pitched numerous new technologies to the Pentagon, which has taken serious interest. Among these weapons were hypersonics, or unmanned fighter jets; a project that is estimated to cost $1 billion and will be developed by 2030. Even more immediate are the company’s contracts with the Navy and the Air Force Research Lab, where laser weapons will be developed by 2020 and 2021. In 2017, the company gave the Army a 60-kilowatt laser, which was utilized to destroy ground vehicles and drones, among other vehicles and weapons. It is clear that the technological future of warfare is already underway.
Naturally, there are some risks. There are plenty of moral, economic, and political concerns not only among scientists and experts in the field, but among the very civilians that trust in the military for protection; and some of these concerns are well-founded. But the many benefits of using autonomous weapons are too significant to ignore, and, when approached with caution, could lead to a much more humane and efficient way of waging warfare. Thus, the United States government should pursue the development and use of autonomous weapons in the military, albeit with caution and the proper safety measures.
Autonomous Weapons in the Military
The military advantages of autonomous weapons are fairly undisputed, the most obvious being the multiplied forces on the battlefield. In most cases, being outnumbered or not having enough men is a prominent concern that might not be a factor in the future if robots are properly utilized to maximize the military’s potential. The math is simple: more soldiers on the field means a better chance at winning, especially if forces not only multiplied in number but grew in efficiency. Artificial intelligence experts Dr. Amitai Etzioni and Dr. Oren Etzioni have done extensive research and have found that robots don’t have the physical, emotional, or mental limitations that humans have; they are programmed to perform a function, and they execute it. Fatigue, hunger, thirst: these are all physical restrictions that do not apply to autonomous weapons, as well as mental and emotional restrictions such as fear, anxiety, or even unwillingness. Imagine how effective certain aspects of the military would be, should we utilize the technology available to us: for example, for long-duration missions, which are vital but extremely taxing.
Processing and storing information is yet another important aspect of warfare. Human memory can fail, and the human mind does not always react quickly or properly, especially under stress: people are not always reliable in this sense. In war, failure to perform well in these areas could mean death. This concern is another that could easily be eliminated by using autonomous weapons, programmed to handle and react to any situation, without cloudy judgement or thoughts of self-preservation.
Take drones, a familiar and popular example. The future of warfare in this regard means drones partially manned by humans but also partially independent as they coordinate with other drones to perform a military tactic known as swarming. This tactic involves multiple parts that coordinate and adapt their movements to each other to act as a whole unit. The result would be well coordinated, quick, and thorough sensing, attack, and defense that would be a much less effective tactic among humans. While the majority of control of the battlefield would go to the drones, humans are not completely out of the picture; in fact, they would be remotely controlling these weapons as opposed to leaving them completely to their own devices.
What people don’t realize is that the Pentagon’s goal in using these and all other autonomous weapons is not to completely eliminate humans from war, but to harness recent and future advances in technology to our benefit in the safest way possible. So, those civilians who fear the “robot takeover” described in science fiction really don’t need to worry too much; the United States isn’t interested in that event either, and intend to keep humans in control while exploring new technologies.
Why Autonomous Weapons are More Ethical than Not
Most of the controversy is directed towards the ethicality of using autonomous weapons, but in reality, they are far more ethical than not. When it comes down to it, this new technology has the potential to save lives. Using unmanned weapons could take soldiers out of the field and out of dangerous missions, drastically reducing not only the number of casualties, but war-related physical and mental illnesses such as PTSD. Think about it: replacing soldiers with perfectly competent robots would mean much higher soldier survivability. Perhaps you yourself have a loved one in the military. If so, you know the fear and anxiety you felt when they left; the worry that sometimes keeps you up at night wondering if they’re safe. I wonder that myself sometimes about my own cousin, only eighteen, bound for Afghanistan in the summer. If you haven’t experienced this, imagine it. Imagine sending a son, a daughter, a friend, any loved one away to the military; try to understand the fear and dread families feel when they do. Autonomous weapons can change that by taking the place of soldiers and keeping those loved ones safe. Is that not ethical? Are we tarnishing American values by saving lives?
There are concerns about the accuracy of autonomous weapons: whether they would be able to tell a civilian from a soldier, whether there is a risk of collateral damage, whether the responsibilities of warfare should be delegated to machines. These concerns are valid, which is precisely why this technology is still in development. Nothing will be perfect the first time around, which is why these weapons are not in full use yet. While the military is certainly beginning the process of implementing these machines into warfare, they are still in the testing stage. Technology is constantly improving, as it is in high demand, so it will continue to improve until these concerns are eliminated. It is no one’s desire to cause civilian suffering. Thus, the testing process will be thorough. Again, the goal of the military is not to completely eliminate humans from war; it is agreed that completely dehumanizing war would not be a smart move. Autonomous weapons will not be placed in charge of warfare; humans will continue to be in control.
The purpose of the military is to protect the nation and its citizens, and the nation will have a higher level of protection if we utilize the available technologies that will improve the way we wage war. It is neither logical or ethical to deny these new developments simply because there are some risks, when they have the potential to save so many lives. Given that and the numerous military advantages of autonomous weapons, we would be taking a far greater risk by not pursuing their development as opposed to ignoring it completely.
International Relations
Maintaining good international relations with other countries is vital to the success of the nation. The concern is that autonomous weapons will ruin these relationships by turning countries against each other in an arms race for unmanned warfare technology, comparable to the race for nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Nations across the world will constantly be competing with each other to create the best and perhaps most deadly autonomous weapons, which will only result in international tension, the world on the brink of World War Three.
Again: sounds like the beginning of a science fiction novel, but the reality is that we don’t live in a book. Again, the Pentagon fully recognizes the potential risks of autonomous weapons, and is well aware of the importance of taking the necessary precautions when developing and utilizing them. Regardless, there are still multiple other reasons as to why the U.S. needs to develop these weapons, both for and despite our international relationships.
The first reason is that bans on this kind of technology often fail. For example: despite efforts, nuclear weapons were never truly banned during the Cold War because both sides realized the advantages of keeping them. Neither side trusted the other, either. Getting other countries to cooperate on an extensive ban on technology that is extremely useful to all nations would be very, very difficult.
Besides, other countries already have plans to develop autonomous weapons. The United States isn’t the only nation considering it; according to autonomous weapons expert Paul Scharre, Russia plans to build a combat unit entirely made of artificial intelligence that wouldn’t need human assistance at all to perform. (Now that is when you should be concerned.) One could argue that, again with similarity to the Cold War, building these weapons ourselves will inevitably result in infiltration and thus the creation of them in other countries. But…it’s already happened, here and there, and autonomous weapons aren’t a perfect formula. Anyone with the right amount of expertise and resources can make them.
The perfect example of this are terrorist groups. Some of them already have autonomous weapons. Scharre also mentioned in an interview that low level drone attacks have already occurred in Syria, with no thought of the long-term effects of the detonation of such powerful technology. So what happens when terrorists get their hands on much more powerful tech, or when a country decides to wage war with autonomous weapons and the United States has nothing to match it because we were afraid of an arms race that was already happening under our nose? Do we then play catch-up and hope not to get obliterated before we get some of our own new tech on the battlefield? It is inevitable that the rest of the world will possess autonomous weapons, likely sooner than later. It simply doesn’t make sense for the United States to not have them, and as a result be unable to defend itself properly in future conflict. We will be forced to make them eventually, so why wait?
An Issue We Can’t Ignore
It is perfectly natural to fear the unknown. What many people don’t realize is that autonomous weapons are already in production; they are already being tested and used. It is no longer a matter of “should we,” but “how should we?” With caution, of course, and with abundant safety measures. Yes, there are some risks, as there are with anything; but, be they technological failures, concerns about the level of human involvement, or other, they can be prevented and resolved. Using autonomous weapons does not have to be dangerous. The process does not have to be rushed. There is plenty of time for testing, and retesting, and testing again.
When the day is over, there is one point that cannot be refuted; autonomous weapons have the potential to save lives. How can we turn that down with a good conscience? How can we continue sending young men and women off to bloodied battlefields when there is another, better option? With autonomous weapons, we have the opportunity to make the world a better, safer place; we have the opportunity to protect civilians and soldiers alike, to gain an advantage on the battlefield, to have a larger and more effective military. It is an opportunity we need to take full advantage of, for the sake of our nation and all who live in it.
