Science fiction becomes reality Will combat robots control the future of the world?

In light of the growing military curiosity and the intensification of competition in the use of robots and unmanned vehicles in the military arsenal, experts and politicians are increasingly afraid that the future of the world and humanity will be mortgaging in the hands of autonomous combat robots one day.

Until recently, talking about combat robots seemed like a science fiction movie, but today it has become closer to reality than ever before, after many of the scenes we see and the reports we read about the capabilities of the massive systems and their role in resolving military conflicts with ease. .

However, what distinguishes unmanned vehicles and platforms is that they are still semi-automated and that the human element is still an essential part of their work system, as it is he who gives orders to attack or not. However, the progress witnessed by military technology and artificial intelligence technology in recent years has contributed to limiting the human role and the systems have become more independent in carrying out operations without any human intervention, after programming them with full autonomy.

With the unprecedented growth in the capabilities of robots and combat systems after their integration with artificial intelligence technology, and at a time of intense competition between great countries to develop and own combat robots in order to strengthen their military arsenal, the voices calling for stopping such projects and limiting the spread of these weapons on a large scale rose for fear. That the future of the world will be mortgaging in the hands of fighting robots one day.

What are combat robots?

The term combat robots is given to fully autonomous and autonomous weapons and platforms, which are automated commanded combat systems that can walk, sail or fly without an operator, and they can identify and deal with targets without the need for any human control.

These robots can use their enormous destructive power without receiving any human commands, through their advanced programs and algorithms that rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques in an unprecedented way.

But the most disadvantageous of these systems is their inability to distinguish between civilians, military personnel and opponents on the field under unforeseen circumstances of war, as well as the possibility of penetrating the programs they operate from hackers, terrorists or hostile countries, which may lead to a comprehensive war and genocide.

It should be noted that the term combat robots is not only applied to systems embodied in the form of robots, but also to various military platforms and vehicles powered by artificial intelligence such as ships, planes, tanks, and others.

Intense competition and calls for a ban

The past few years have witnessed great countries integrating artificial intelligence techniques into the systems of their platforms to come up with the best weapons and combat systems that will enhance their arsenal of future wars that will be managed by robots and machines, given that combat robots do not get tired and exhausted, and can carry out more dangerous tasks and maneuvers compared to systems traditional human-driven.

Last Tuesday, announced New Zealand, an influential leader in the disarmament, they will push for an international ban on self - weapons operating systems, amid growing concerns that beyond human control arms can violate the legal and ethical boundaries and increase global instability.

At least 30 countries have called for a global ban on killer robots, something that arms control and human rights activists have long advocated. But some of the world's leading military powers, including the United States and Russia, have played down the dangers of such weapons, while China, whose military spending has been increasing for decades, has said it supports a ban on the use of autonomous weapons but not on their development and production.

While leading figures and companies in the technology sector, most notably billionaire Elon Musk, signed a pledge in 2018 committing themselves not to develop or use autonomous weapons. The pledge, organized by the Boston-based Future of Life Institute, which seeks to reduce the dangers of artificial intelligence, has called killer robots “powerful tools of violence and oppression.”