Militaries are making increasing use of robots, from bomb disposal machines to armed remotely piloted drones carrying out missile strikes. Israel has experimented with border control robots and American has trialled them in Iraq and Afghanistan. But an expert on military robots said all current machines’ weapons are controlled and directed by humans, who make the final decision whether to fire.
Huw Williams, Unmanned Systems Editor at IHS Jane’s International Defence Review, said he knew of no programmes to make killer robots and even the most advanced machines had little ability to act on their own.
He said: “Autonomy at the moment is quite limited. You set the task parameters, give it way points and tell it to go and do x, y and z. Then the machine decides: ‘How do I get from x to y to z in the most efficient manner and get things done?’ But in terms of real thinking, real autonomy, then no.”