Off the Leash: How the UK is developing the
technology to build armed autonomous drones
http://www.911forum.org.uk/board/viewtopic.php?p=178083#178083
BY PETER BURT on 10/11/2018
https://dronewars.net/2018/11/10/off-the-leash-autonomous-drones/
A new report published by Drone Wars UK reveals
that, despite a UK government statement that it
“does not possess fully autonomous weapons and
has no intention of developing them”, the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) is actively funding
research into technology supporting the development of armed autonomous drones.
Our study, Off the Leash: The Development of
Autonomous Military Drones in the UK, identifies
the key technologies influencing the development
of future armed drones and looks at current
initiatives which are under way in the UK to
marry developments in autonomy – the ability of a
machine to operate with limited, or even no,
human control – with military drone technology.
The report maps out the agencies, laboratories,
and contractors undertaking research into drones
and autonomous weapon technology in support of
the Ministry of Defence, examines the risks
arising from the weaponisation of such
technologies, and assesses government policy in this area.
Military planners have a long history of taking
advantage of technological developments to aid
war fighting. Aircraft and computers were rapidly
identified for their potential to transform
warfare, and so it should come as no surprise
that new combinations of these technologies are
of great interest to the world’s militaries.
While drones have become familiar over recent
years, the next technological leap – powered by
advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine
learning, and advanced computing – is likely to
see the development not only of drones that are
able to fly themselves and stay aloft for
extended periods, but those which may also be
able to select, identify, and destroy targets without human intervention.
‘Off the Leash’ concludes that drones are likely
to be the military technology which develops into
the first truly autonomous weapon. The
incremental way in which drone technology is
developing, and the ability to ‘bolt on’ new
features, means that drones are ideally suited to
morph into a future generation of autonomous weapon systems.
Human Control
The extent to which autonomy within a drone is a
concern depends upon the level of human control
over the targeting and launch of weapons and the
use of force. Although existing armed drones have
a degree of autonomy in some of their functions –
for instance in relation to flight control – at
present human control is maintained over the use
of force, and so today’s armed drones do not
qualify as fully autonomous weapons. Many
question whether weapons with the capability to
make autonomous targeting decisions would ever be
able to comply with the laws of war, and make the
complex and subjective judgements needed to
ensure that the use of force was necessary,
proportional, and undertaken so as to avoid civilian casualties.
Elements of concern: autonomy and the critical functions of an armed drone
Despite this, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) sees
autonomous technology and data science as “key
enablers” for the future. MoD’s Defence Science
and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and its Defence
and Security Accelerator programme have extensive
research programmes in these fields. The
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council is also a significant funder of research
in these areas and a number of universities are
working on autonomous technology programmes with
military applications, often in collaboration
with private sector military contractors.
However, investment and innovation in artificial
intelligence is being led by the civil sector and
not by the world’s militaries. Autonomous
technologies originating in the civil sector but
adapted for military applications are likely to
become key components of the autonomous drones
and weapons of the future. Military planners are
aware of the civil sector’s lead in developing
artificial intelligence and autonomous systems
and are keen to have a slice of the cake.
The military technology research sector is
smaller than its civil counterpart and has fewer
resources but is in a position to adapt existing
military systems and anticipate military needs.
BAE Systems, for example, has built a family of
autonomous experimental drones including
‘Taranis’, an advanced prototype autonomous
stealth drone, and has an active AI research and
development programme. Qinetiq, Thales Group, and
a number of other military aerospace contractors
have also participated in autonomous technology
development projects for the MoD.
Sleight of hand
Current MoD policy states that the UK opposes the
development of autonomous weapon systems and has
“no intention of developing them”. However, the
Ministry of Defence has been accused of a sleight
of hand by defining autonomous weapons systems
differently from other governments and
institutions. Its futuristic definition of
autonomous weapons places no limits on the
development of autonomous technology to meet
short- and medium-term military needs. The claim
that “the UK opposes the development of armed
autonomous systems” also appears to be at odds
with the government’s position in international
arms control negotiations. Since 2015 the UK has
declined to support moves at the United Nations
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons aimed
at banning autonomous weapon systems.
Taranis: BAE System’s prototype autonomous drone in flight
Drone Wars UK is clear that the development and
deployment of lethal autonomous drones would give
rise to a number of grave risks, primarily the
loss of humanity and compassion on the
battlefield. Letting machines ‘off the leash’ and
giving them the ability to take life crosses a
key ethical and legal Rubicon. Autonomous lethal
drones would simply lack human judgement and
other qualities that are necessary to make
complex ethical choices on a dynamic battlefield,
to distinguish adequately between soldiers and
civilians, and to evaluate the proportionality of
an attack. Other risks from the deployment of
autonomous weapons include unpredictable
behaviour, loss of control, ‘normal’ accidents, and misuse.
As a nation which considers itself a responsible
and leading member of the international
community, the United Kingdom has a duty to use
its influence and powers to ensure that the
weapons of the future are never used outside
boundaries set by the’ laws of humanity and the
requirements of the public conscience’, as
stipulated in the ‘Martens Clause’ which sets out
guiding humanitarian principles for the conduct of war.
Recommendations
We consider that the government should support
the introduction of an arms control regime to
prevent the development, acquisition, deployment,
and use of fully autonomous weapons. To support
this, the UK should make an unequivocal statement
that it is unacceptable for machines to control,
determine, or decide upon the application of
force in armed conflict and give a binding
political commitment that the UK would never use
fully autonomous weapon systems.
In order to increase the transparency of research
which might lead to the development of autonomous
weapons, the government should publish an annual
report identifying research it has funded in the
area of military autonomous technology and artificial intelligence.
Despite its military applications, AI also has
enormous potential for reducing armed conflict,
and so the government should fund a wide-ranging
study into the use of artificial intelligence to
support conflict resolution and promote sustainable security.
Much more deliberation is needed on the ethics
and risks associated with disruptive new
technologies such as AI, autonomous technology,
biotechnology, and nanotechnology. MPs and Peers
should investigate the impact of emerging
military technologies, including autonomy and
artificial intelligence, and press the government
to adopt an ethical framework governing future
work in these areas. A broader public debate on
the ethics and future use of artificial
intelligence and autonomous technologies,
particularly their military applications, is long
overdue. It’s time for the government and civil
society to start this debate now – before
pressing further ahead with research on robots that can kill humans
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Please consider seriously the reason why these elite institutions are not discussed in the mainstream press despite the immense financial and political power they wield?
There are sick and evil occultists running the Western World. They are power mad lunatics like something from a kids cartoon with their fingers on the nuclear button! Armageddon is closer than you thought. Only God can save our souls from their clutches, at least that's my considered opinion - Tony
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