Tech Shout!

Most humans are desperately wanting the assistance of robots in practically any and every field. And terrorists are not behind in the race. In a keynote address to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Professor Noel Sharkey, from the University’s Department of Computer Science said, that the first step towards an international robot arms race is being taken by several nations.

He further said that these robots might replace suicide bombers in sometime.

“With the current prices of robot construction falling dramatically and the availability of ready-made components for the amateur market, it wouldn’t require a lot of skill to make autonomous robot weapons,” said Sharkey

According to the professor, the US has already started developing the technology for robot weapons. While Unmanned Systems Roadmap 2007-2013 (published in December 2007) said that the US proposed to spend an estimated $4 billion by 2010 on unmanned systems technology.

Further on, it is also said that at present over 4,000 robots are deployed on the ground in Iraq and by October 2006 an unmanned aircraft had flown 400,000 flight hours.

Soon countries like Canada, South Korea, South Africa, Singapore, Israel China, Russia and India are expected to join the international robot arms race.

Professor Sharkey also said that “The trouble is that we can’t really put the genie back in the bottle. Once the new weapons are out there, they will be fairly easy to copy. How long is it going to be before the terrorists get in on the act?”

If such robot terrorists are being built, it would be dangerous for the entire mankind especially when we cannot undo their controls.