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One could debate the overall merits or failings of robotic systems, but one area that clearly has become a point for concern on all sides is the idea of "killer robots." According to robotics pioneer, David Hanson, we are on a collision course with exponential growth in computing and technology that might only give us a "few years" to counter this scenario.
Elon Musk is the latest to proclaim the magnitude of the threat following a reading of Nick Bostrom's book Superintelligence, stating that robots infused with advanced artificial intelligence are "potentially more dangerous than nukes." Stephen Hawking has said much the same, and universities such as Cambridge have said that "terminators" are one of the greatest threats to mankind according to their study program Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.
The above sources do not reflect Luddites and conspiracy-minded individuals. This has led to international human rights groups and concerned citizens to launch a Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. It is a topic being taken up by the United Nations and even the U.S. military itself.
However, it's doubtful that we should expect global bureaucracy and those who profit from war to be the best solution to an imminent problem. For the first time, a robot manufacturer is sounding the alarm and taking a clear stance against the pursuit of these systems. Clearpath Robotics Co-Founder and CTO, Ryan Gariepy, is offering an open letter that is a must-read, as it clearly focuses on ethics - something that consistently has been left out of the equation thus far. Please spread this far and wide so that we can get this debate ramped up as quickly as possible. Once we halt this potential catastrophe, then we can continue debating other aspects of robotics. Please offer your thoughts in the comment section below.
