In the war of the future, machines could decide over life and death without human control. Because the development of Autonomous weapons is progressing rapidly. At the UN in Geneva, will be re-negotiated on a ban.
With a loud Buzz of lawn mini-drones through a lecture hall, and specifically about some of the students, which kill them with shots to the forehead. To see the scene in a fictional movie, the opponents of Autonomous weapons on the YouTube video portal spread. The drones, smaller than a palm, identifying their victims by using Algorithms. You have targeted your goal, there is no Escape. Your data the mini-drones, the network in swarms, from the social networks. You only kill people who have shared the fictional story, a critical Video.
All just Science Fiction?
The eye-opening film with the title “slaughter of the bots” was short clicks since its release in November 2017, more than two and a half million Times. All just Science Fiction, the delusions of frightened people? No, says Thomas küchenmeister, who is committed to a ban on Autonomous weapons: “The step is very small.”
Kitchen masters is a Board member of “Facing Finance”, a German member organization of the international campaign “Stop Killer Robots”. He looks often on arms fairs and talks with the manufacturers. Weapons that interact to a certain degree Autonomous, belong today to the standard. For example, missiles that look for possible targets, and at the end decide for yourself, which you destroy. Basically, they are still operated by people, but for the actual attack, not a soldier gives the command to Fire, he often can’t stop him once more.
In conflict with international law
Kitchen master finds “highly problematic” because “The clean distinction between military and civilian vehicles not able to make such a weapon.” But international Humanitarian law. The distinction between combatants and civilians is one of the most important rules of the “Ius in bello”, in the war of the applicable international law. It commits the warring parties to the greatest possible protection of civilians and civilian buildings.
In this spirit, the International Committee of the Red cross (ICRC) defines select Autonomous weapons systems as such, the search for their objectives independently, and, or destroy can attack. Independently means Without human Intervention. This is exactly where the Problem is: What if such a missile power in the case of independent target selection, only enemy bullets are harmless, but also kills civilians? “We can plant these weapons, no international law-Chip,” warns Thomas küchenmeister.
The unmanned plane “Taranis” the UK’s armor BAE Systems has Autonomous functions
KI in the defense industry
The degree of autonomy in weapons systems is getting bigger, is due to the rapid progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. In the meantime, machines are capable of learning, they process experiences by means of artificial neural networks like a human brain. The defense industry takes advantage of this: weapons are faster and more efficient, while at the same time the danger for the soldiers drops. This is exactly what armies want. The boundaries are fluent in: Mag detects a robot that automatically searches the mines, and defuse yet to be widely accepted, so a robot that automatically searches certain people, detects and shoots is a clear case for international law.
Negotiations under time pressure
But how international law applies to these new weapons? In addition, the community is fighting since 2014 at the headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. It does this in the framework of the UN weapons Convention, CCW, “Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons”. From the first informal discussions in 2017, official negotiations were able to take part in more than 70 countries, but also scientists and non-governmental organizations.
The subject of the discussions from the 27. up to the 31. August lethal Autonomous weapons systems (“Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems”, in short, LAWS). This could be about robots who fight on the battlefield against each other. Also the killer from the Video such weapons, which there is not yet, but in the near future will be drones.
Not much time remains, however, the negotiations come on the spot. The community is split, broadly speaking, into three camps: the supporters and opponents of a mandatory ban of Autonomous weapons, and in country, the first want to take a middle ground, such as Germany and France.
Lined with artificial intelligence can be drones as a dangerous weapon for terrorists
“Dominating the world”
Against a ban on countries that invest a lot of money in the military use of artificial intelligence, for example, the USA, Israel, Russia or the UK argue. Who was at the artificial intelligence leader, the ruler of the world, said Russian President Vladimir Putin in front of pupils in September 2017. Him, the concern is that the US or China could gain a dominant position. The progress in the field of artificial intelligence fueling long been an arms race for the “smartest” Autonomous weapons.
The U.S. government, increasing the defense budget, which is currently solid, Autonomous weapons during the last Geneva round of Negotiations in April, even in a positive light: they contribute to, to avoid in a war, civilian casualties and “collateral damage”. A soldier will easily overpowered by the large amount of information on the field of battle, keep a Computer track and make less mistakes. The U.S. Delegation warned explicitly against the stigmatisation of these weapons.
For a ban
So far, 26 States are calling for a mandatory ban of Autonomous weapons, and get a lot of applause from the civil society. More than 230 organizations and 3000 individuals have signed a Petition against Autonomous weapons, which initiated the American “Future of Life”-Institute. Including leading researchers and entrepreneurs in the field of Artificial intelligence, such as Tesla chief Elon Musk, or “Google’s Deep Mind”. Do not undertake to support the development of lethal Autonomous weapons systems and call for “strict international norms and laws” to their prohibition. Never make the decision to kill a human being should be delegated to a machine.
Since 2013, the international campaign “Stop Killer Robots calls for” a ban of lethal Autonomous weapons
Germany: Yes, but not immediately
Also, the Federal government committed in the coalition agreement to a “global Ban” on Autonomous weapons. At the negotiations in Geneva on a ban on membership, but it considers tactically wrong – the views were too far.
Together with France Germany is therefore pursuing a middle ground: As a first step, the Federal government proposes a policy statement to follow a military code of conduct, and only in the last step, a ban Treaty. In this multi-level approach of German diplomats see a Chance to bridge the great opposites. A non-binding political Declaration, it is hoped, will also join the opponents of a ban. Certain Standards are only set once, easier the next steps towards a legally-binding ban.
This is the opinion of the activists of the campaign “Stop Killer Robots do not share”. They are demanding that Germany as a large and important European country on a pioneering role and for an immediate ban should occur. Other States would then follow suit, speculates Thomas küchenmeister. “If the Federal government wants to Ban these weapons, then they should show it – that would mean to take responsibility.”
In Europe, Austria and Belgium have called for a ban on Autonomous weapons
Immense Time Pressure
In a diplomats and activists agree: time is of The essence. It also sees the renowned American computer scientist Stuart Russell, who has been researching for 35 years in the field of artificial intelligence. He had the idea for the Film “slaughter bots”. Still, such a scenario could be avoided, warns Russell, “but the time window is closing fast”. Now some armies are experimenting with drone swarms, other defense to develop weapons of the Bundeswehr. The talks in Geneva should bring no progress, then the pressure of the civil society will grow, predicts kitchen master. A ban Treaty could arise outside of the UN, similar to the fight against land mines. The international campaign price received, however, in 1997 the Nobel peace prize.