Singapore has launched a contest to build a robot that can operate autonomously in urban warfare conditions, moving in and out of buildings to search and destroy targets like a human soldier.
The country’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) said on its website it is offering one million Singapore dollars (US$ 652,000) to the developers of such a robot that completes a stipulated task in the fastest time.
“Operation in urban areas represents a significant challenge to militaries,” DSTA chief executive Richard Lim said at the launch of the contest on Tuesday. “Recent military experiences in Iraq, the Middle East and other locations have clearly illustrated these challenges.”
When you lose a robot in combat, he won’t have any relatives back home to vote out the politicians who sent him off to be killed.
I don’ t think that’s enough do-re-mi to get the job done, but it is inevitable that robots will be assuming that task, though I imagine initially it will be more remote control and less artificial intelligence.
Asimov must be spinning in his grave.
Where are Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics?
0. A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Will Singapore and other legal authorities including the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA find these law inconvenient? Talk about weapons of mass destruction.
Who cares what asimov said anyway? It was fiction, and he was a biochemest. Not exactly where you should be pointing for support. I know, I just threw a rock at the nerd hive by saying asimovs books don’t matter, but whoopdie-doo.
Killing is profitable, therefore people kill. And, if people killing people is profitable, imagine how profitable a robot killing people would be. It’s staggering to think about.
I, for one, welcome our new killer robot overlords!
Why oh why does DU keep posting subjects that force me to say the obvious!
Steve
#5 – How, exactly, is it profitable?
Yet another Government realizes how to develop sophisticated stuff without spending millions on R&D.
Does anyone else think of Dr. Evil and his extortion price of one million dollars when they think of the prize offered for this? The R&D alone would be orders of magnitude beyond $642K USD even in Singapore.
Asimov’s Three Laws would be useless, because the Chimperor would simply attach signing statements to them.
Isaac Asimov assumed the whole world would think like himself. It doesn’t and it won’t.
The one limitation to warbots is that it is always cheaper to use self-replicating life forms for warfare. You don’t have to worry about the warbot factory getting bombed or supplies getting cut off before you have enough of them.
Thus little Singapore has to get a head start on building warbots before Islam or Red China hoards start attacking. Satan will be able to put this technology to good use, to build The Beast.