SUMMER 2019|INNOVATION & TECH TODAY 21
By Patricia Miller
“Killerrobot”isn’ta buzzwordcreatedto
horrifythetechnologicallychallenged.The
termreferstoautonomousweaponry,a veryreal
andgrowingsectorofcivildefense.Drones,
unmannedaerialsurveillance,andnowlethal
autonomousweapons(LAWs)arebeing
developedinsecret across the globe in a brand
newarmsrace.
Iftheserobotscouldpreventyoungmenand
womenfromenduringthehorrorsofwar,why
aretheworld’sleadingtechnologistsurging
nationalgovernmentstosigna treatybanning
theirdevelopment?StephenHawking,Elon
Musk,SteveWozniak,andthousandsofothers
havesignedanopenletterrequestinga banon
offensiveautonomous weapons lacking in
humancontrol.
Tolearnmoreabouttherealandperceived
dangersofkillerrobots,wespokewithMary
Wareham,globalcoordinatorfortheCampaign
toStopKillerRobots.WarehamwontheNobel
PeacePrizeforherworkontheInternational
CampaigntoBanLandminesin 1997 andserves
astheadvocacydirectorofthe Arms Division of
theHumanRightsWatch.
Innovation&TechToday: Whywould
peoplesupportbanninga technology that
hasyettocauseanyharm?
MaryWareham:I hopepeoplerealizethat we
couldpreventanavoidabletragedy...
Theseareweaponsystemsthatwouldbeable
toselect,identify,andengagetargetswithout
anymeaningfulhumancontrol.Onceactivated,
themachineorrobotwouldbeincontrolof
undertakingthosefunctionswhich,for the
campaign,crossesa moralline...
Weareinthishardsituationnowwherethere
arehardlyanycountrieswhowilladmitto
developingkillerrobots,butwestillseemassive
investments in weapons technology that is going
inthisdirectionandit
underscorestheneed for
regulation...Today’sarmeddronesarejust
thebeginningofa revolutionin
militarywarfighting,whichis
goingtochangeeverythingabouthowwaris
conductedinthefuture,andthat’swhythere’s
anurgent need to get down some rules of the
road.
Needlesstosay,thecampaignisnotonly
concernedaboutpotentialuseofkillerrobotsin
warfare,butwe’reequallyconcernedabout
potentialuseinlawenforcement,policing,
crowdcontrol,andbordercontroland
enforcement.Therearemanyotherscenariosin
whichkillerrobotsmaybeusedandlotsof
peoplerealizethiscouldbeonthestreets,
eventually,andthatthisisnot a path the world
shouldbegoingdown...
Thekillerrobotschallengeisveryrealandit
needsa homeintheformofnewinternational
law.That’swhywe’recallingforthetreaty.I&TToday: Basedonyourexperiencewith
thelandminetreaty,howwouldthekiller
robotstreatybeimplementedandenforced?
MW:Ofallthedifferentarmsthathavebeen
prohibitedtodate,onlythechemicalweapons
conventionhasanintrusiveverificationand
complianceregime.Alloftheotherinstruments
thatI’vebeeninvolvedin,includingthe
landminetreatyandtheconventiononcluster
munitions,aremorea combinationofhuman
rights,humanitarian,andasylumprovisions
basedonthenotionthatif a statesignsupforit,
they’rewillinglygoingtoabidebyit.Wedon’t
comeatthisfromtheassumptionthat
everybodyisgoingtocheatandthereforethere
willneedtobelotsofmeanstoverifyand
enforce compliance, though there will becomplianceandverification provisions in the
eventualtreaty.Nobodyistalkingabouthowtostopartificial
intelligenceorpreventmilitariesfrom
incorporatingautonomyintotheiruses,but
wherewe’retalkingaboutdrawingthelineis
incorporatingAIintoweaponsystemstothe
extentthatit isnolonger under meaningful
humancontrol.
ThewholereasonwhytheAIexperts,
roboticists,computerscientists,andothershave
beensupportingthiseffortisthattheycompare
themselvestothenuclearscientistsofthepast,
tothechemistsofthepast,whowereconcerned
abouttheweaponizationofthattechandwho
assistedtocreatenewinternationallawthat
commissionedthefieldofchemicalstobe
pursuedandstudiedandexpandedonfor
peacefuluses,butprohibitedtheuseof the
chemicalsasa weaponofwarfare.
I thinkit’sa similarthingwe’relookingtodo
hereonkillerrobots and that’s definitely not
impossible.
I&TToday: Howdoestheunpredictability
ofartificialintelligenceaddto your concerns
aboutitsuseinwarfare?MW:Whatit allcomesdowntoisthefactthat
machinelearningandAIcanbecompletely
unpredictable,especiallywhenit isemployedin
whatI’veheardcalled“clutteredenvironments.”
Theseareenvironmentsthatarenotstatic,
environmentsthatareconstantlychanging,and
thathavelotsofdifferentfactorsinvolved.A
cluttered environment is a city, for example,Onewoman’sbattletostopa killerrobotarmy
from inciting an international arms race.
GlobalCoordinator
fortheCampaign
toStopKiller
RobotsMary
Wareham