Israel deploys automated military robots • Hacker News Board

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#21

Post by scandox » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:04 AM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #8

I would be more impressed if their opponent were more technically sophisticated. You have people pretending to build a tank on one hand and people with automated robots on the other? Seems a bit overkill and pointless IMHO.

"Overkill" is the defining feature of Western military. We've got to the point where we consider a ratio of 1 (of ours) : 1000 (of theirs) unacceptable. It's very hard to present an argument that says we should accept more deaths on our own side in order to be "fairer" to the other side. However, the net effect is that we continue to minimize our risk in ways that de-humanize conflict and increase collateral damage.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#22

Post by TrickedOut » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:04 AM UTC

FBT wrote: post #6

scandox wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't we just get a kind of programmer's Hippocratic oath going here? Let's just all not facilitate autonomous shooting. I know both sides of the argument. I know it won't prevent it being done. I just mean if enough people agreed not to do it, then we'd at least generate enough disapproval for it not to be the subject of any PR Puff.

Isn't it better to have robots fighting and dying than humans? War sucks, and I do wish that we could have world peace. But if war is going to happen, I'd rather it be robots that are the ones in harm's way.

This comment does not make sense -- it isnt like the robots will be shooting at Clay pigeon -- the robots will be killing humans. Right now, most of the targets end up being civilians, that can only go up.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#23

Post by curiousgal » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:05 AM UTC

executesorder66 wrote: post #19

curiousgal wrote: post #8

I would be more impressed if their opponent were more technically sophisticated. You have people pretending to build a tank on one hand and people with automated robots on the other? Seems a bit overkill and pointless IMHO.

It's unfair, yes. But how is it unimpressive?

>more impressed.

Of course it's quite impressive! Israel's R&D efforts are nothing short of that.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#24

Post by FBT » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:06 AM UTC

zorked wrote: post #11

FBT wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it better to have robots fighting and dying than humans? War sucks, and I do wish that we could have world peace. But if war is going to happen, I'd rather it be robots that are the ones in harm's way.

That's not what's going to happen. One side will have robots, the other will have humans. This is already happening.

That's better than both sides being humans.

Seriously. Incremental improvements are worthwhile.

In general, militaries never want to comprise their effectiveness. So if given the chance to implement a life-saving intervention that harms their effectiveness, they will be reluctant at best to implement it. But this is a life-saving intervention that possibly even increases their effectiveness!

That's what truly makes it awesome. A way to save lives that militaries are not only willing to implement, but rather are actually enthusiastic about implementing.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#25

Post by nononononono » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:06 AM UTC

FBT wrote: post #6

scandox wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't we just get a kind of programmer's Hippocratic oath going here? Let's just all not facilitate autonomous shooting. I know both sides of the argument. I know it won't prevent it being done. I just mean if enough people agreed not to do it, then we'd at least generate enough disapproval for it not to be the subject of any PR Puff.

Isn't it better to have robots fighting and dying than humans? War sucks, and I do wish that we could have world peace. But if war is going to happen, I'd rather it be robots that are the ones in harm's way.

...preferrably running in a virtualized environment in a closed network so that they don't hog bandwidth off the Internet.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#26

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:07 AM UTC

98Windows wrote: post #7

The scary thing is once these things get a bit better it'll become cost effective to build thousands of them and just zerg rush your enemies.

[deleted]

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#27

Post by pyvpx » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:07 AM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #23

executesorder66 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's unfair, yes. But how is it unimpressive?

> more impressed. Of course it's quite impressive! Israel's R&D efforts are nothing short of that.

> Israel's R&D efforts

are also not made in an vacuum. substantial assistance and sharing with the US has certainly accelerated their abilities.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#28

Post by FBT » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:10 AM UTC

chopin wrote: post #15

FBT wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it better to have robots fighting and dying than humans? War sucks, and I do wish that we could have world peace. But if war is going to happen, I'd rather it be robots that are the ones in harm's way.

I assume that these devices will mainly being deployed against enemies not having those. Main advantage: no chance of mercy. Extremely valuable in civil wars...

Do note that the robots described in this article only drive autonomously, and when armed, need a human to (remotely) fire the weapons.

If the robot shot autonomously, you'd have a point about mercy. But the way it is described here, it's exactly the same mercy-wise as if the soldier manning the weapons was riding along in the vehicle.

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#29

Post by wepple » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:12 AM UTC

josh_fyi wrote: post #2

Not fully automated. These may be autonomously driving, but not autonomously shooting. The article hints that that is technically possible, but also states that it is not implemented.

yeah, the title is a bit misleading. 'military robots' != 'autonomous vehicle'

Re: Israel deploys automated military robots

#30

Post by arethuza » Thu, Aug 25, 2016, 11:12 AM UTC

scandox wrote: post #5

josh_fyi wrote: post #2

Not fully automated. These may be autonomously driving, but not autonomously shooting. The article hints that that is technically possible, but also states that it is not implemented.

Can't we just get a kind of programmer's Hippocratic oath going here? Let's just all not facilitate autonomous shooting. I know both sides of the argument. I know it won't prevent it being done. I just mean if enough people agreed not to do it, then we'd at least generate enough disapproval for it not to be the subject of any PR Puff.

Weapons that autonomously decide when to explode have existed since WW2 with radar proximity fuses and modern guided weapons can select targets (e.g. "fire and forget" Brimstone missiles).

Where do we draw the dividing line?