Robot warriors will get a guide to ethics
New ‘Terminator’ Robots Go in Harm’s Way

Lethal military robots are currently deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ground-based robots like QinetiQ’s MAARS robot (shown here), are armed with weapons to shoot insurgents, appendages to disarm bombs, and surveillance equipment to search buildings.

Robots with a set of ethical guidelines, or perhaps how we ought to treat robots ethically? Or maybe —

“This is trying to give a team of soldiers a ‘tenth man’ that is expendable to enemy fire,” said Quinn.

“[The robots] can take a beating,” said Robert Quinn, an engineer at Foster-Miller. “Some of our robots have been blown up 10, even 15 times, and they still work.”

“Robots don’t have an inherent right to self-defense and don’t get scared,” said Arkin. “The robots can take greater risk and respond more appropriately.”

Oh yes, I see.

(Thanks Max and Paul!)