Fearful prospect of robot attack automatically

The proliferation of artificial intelligence helps create, sophisticated and they can kill automatically without human intervention.

In mid-November, a video called 'Slaughterbots' was posted on YouTube. This is the product of Stuart Russell, professor of artificial intelligence (AI), University of California and funded by the Future of Life Research Institute, with the support of billionaire Elon Musk, physicist Stephen Hawking and the home astronomy Martin Rees.

The video introduces the prospect of micro-controlled AI attacks hundreds of innocent people. These aircraft are equipped with a face detection system and a few explosives that can be programmed to search and destroy targets. What these aircraft need to destroy a target is a record of age, gender, health status, uniform and ethnicity.

In another shot, tiny planes can link together to punch a hole in the wall for other aircraft to fly over. They can even connect with each other like a giant swarm of bees and then they are almost impossible to stop.

The prospect is not far from those

The scenes in Slaughterbots are fictitious but Professor Russell asks, 'How much longer does this come true? 'When many countries around the world are promoting the development of battle robots. Military laboratories around the world are busy developing small, automated robots for use in the war.

A fighting robot of the US military.(Photo: BBC).

In the US, a program called Technology and Microcomputer Automation (MAST) is run by the Army Research Laboratory in Maryland. MAST's development process has just ended successfully after 10 years. The MAST program coordinates and pays for studies of a collection of laboratories at the University of Maryland, Texas A&M University and Berkeley University.

The MAST program ends and is developed into a Smart Collaboration and Distribution Technology System (DCIST) . It promises the successful development of micro-autonomous robots for war purposes.

In 2008, when the MAST program began, a spy plane that you could hold in your hand seemed to be an idea of ​​science fiction. However, such aircraft are becoming increasingly popular. MAST researchers are developing pocket reconnaissance facilities. They can fly, jump to collect data before soldiers.

DCIST's research program will be based on these micro-autonomous robots to make them connect with each other. If the project is successful, it will create micro devices that can work together to reach a common goal.

Currently, the US Department of Defense is committed to keeping these automated robots under human control. The scenario in Slaughterbots clips probably won't happen. However, if people can create micro robots that can cooperate with each other automatically, there is no guarantee that they will not learn and escape from human control. If these weapons fall into the hands of terrorists, they will create immeasurable consequences.

Small and sophisticated

Current unmanned helicopters are the conventional model of a helicopter with a main rotor and 4 or 6 wings at the top. However, MAST researchers have a better idea. They developed the idea of ​​being called 'cyclocopter'. It acts as a paddle in the air to lift an object into the air and move in different directions.

In addition, the development of new materials allows scientists to develop cyclocopter weighing only a few dozen grams. Cyclocopters produce less noise than helicopters, making them ideal for surveillance.

Salto micro robot.(Photo: UC Berkeley).

In addition to ultra-small planes, the Biomedical Systems Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley developed a device called Salto . It weighs only 98 grams. A special feature of Salto is that it can jump at a speed of 2m / sec on many different terrains.

Ron Fearing, Salto's electrical systems development engineer, says that it is quieter than airplanes and can be used in confined spaces. Salto is very suitable for monitoring as well as finding missing people in ruins, where other people and machines are difficult to access.

The development of AI technology allows engineers to develop smaller and more sophisticated robots. That makes scientists like Russell particularly worried about the prospect of automated robots that can coordinate behaviors to work more efficiently. At that time, they can automatically shoot and kill without human intervention.

In August, MAST engineers demonstrated the ability to use three robots (two on the ground and one in the air). They work together based on pre-programmed hardware without external intervention. The technology that DCIST engineers are inheriting and developing from MAST is ' Heterogeneous group control technique' to manage a variety of robots, from small postage-stamp robots to large-sized robots. Jeep car.

DCIST scientists plan to complete this technology by 2022, when the prospect of Slaughterbots clips won't be too far away. Billionaire Elon Musk and more than 100 AI experts have called on the UN to prohibit comprehensive development of killer robots.