Killer robots will be militants' weapons of choice

27 Feb 2008, 3:36 pm   -   Source: SBS staff and agencies
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Robots are already being used by the US army in Iraq

Robots are already being used by the US army in Iraq

Extremist militants could soon be using killer robots to fight their battles, as a professor warns 'we can't put the genie back in the bottle'

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Killer robots could soon become the weapon of choice for militants, a British expert has warned.

Several countries and companies are developing the technology for robot weapons, with the US Department of Defense leading the way.

But Noel Sharkey, professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the UK's University of Sheffield believes falling costs will soon make robots a realistic option for extremist groups.

"They pose a threat to humanity," Professor Sharkey insists. "The trouble is that we can't really put the genie back in the bottle."

'Intelligent' machines, from rocket-firing drones to mobile grenade launchers, are already in use on battlefields around the globe - more than 4,000 are currently in action in Iraq.

'Risk-free' war

South Korea and Israel both deploy armed robot border guards, while China, India, Russia and Britain have all increased the use of military robots.

The first three armed combat robots fitted with large-calibre machine guns deployed to Iraq last summer proved so successful that 80 more are on order, the professor explained. 

Up to now, a human hand has always been required to push the button or pull the trigger, but Mr Sharkey warns that if we are not careful, that could soon change.

Military leaders "are quite clear that they want autonomous robots as soon as possible, because they are more cost-effective and give a risk-free war," he said.

Easy to copy

"Once the new weapons are out there, they will be fairly easy to copy," Sharkey will tell a one-day conference organised by Britain's Royal United Services Institute on Wednesday.

"How long is it going to be before the terrorists get in on the act?

"With the current prices of robot construction falling dramatically and the availability of ready-made components for the amateur market, it wouldn't require a lot of skill to make autonomous robot weapons."

Professor Sharkey said a small GPS-guided drone with autopilot could be made for about £250 (AU$531.24).


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