Robot wars: [An attempt to build an ethical robotic soldier]

The Economist ^ | April 17, 2007

[AndyTheBear]

...if we provide them with free will somehow...

We could make them completely predictable, or we can make aspects of their behavior random (actually only very nearly random). But how do we provide free will?

[AntiGuv]

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[Verdelet]

Determinists say that free will does not exist at all,and all our behviours are random (for us) but still predetermined.:)
Lack of free will means that robots can be nothing more than what we tell them to be.

[Silly]

I'm ready for a fight anytime!

[Silly]

Tiny military robots?

[Silly]

Your future.

[MarkT]

"If, say, the drone from which the fatal attack on Mr Atef was launched had sensed that his car was overtaking a school bus, it may have held fire."

Sounds good except our concept of a school bus is a elongated, yellow vehicle with many windows. Two things: 1. The rag-head terroists would all be driving these around town. 2. The real school buses elsewhere in the world might not conform to our concepts. Also, the MSM would be reporting daily that we destroyed 10 school buses per day along with 300 kids.

Less sophistication and more explosion. This robotic concept is a good one but might be simpler and less expensive to have a human sitting on U.S. soil control the vehicle (a la UAV) and make the decisions.

[Wiz]

[AndyTheBear]

Determinists say that free will does not exist at all,and all our behviours are random (for us) but still predetermined.:)

Our behaivors are hardly random for us. From our perspective we make choices. Sometimes they are even choices our body's and brain's don't like. Notice, that to the extent that we simply indulge our body and brain, we forsake free-will. We intuit what free-will means only because we are souls with free will.

As for the perspective of a future aware observer, how is it different the a current observer? For instance if I watch you do something in the present, I have not controlled your choice. Thus if I could watch you in the future, I would still not be.

Lack of free will means that robots can be nothing more than what we tell them to be.

Sounds about right. Unless a robot has a soul which can choose to override its programming, it can not have free-will.

Modern man has absolutely no idea how to do this (some even vainly refuse to acknowledge the obvious existence of souls).

[Lazamataz]

[jmcenanly]

Just so long as they are not wired in series.

Centralized control is not a good idea.

[Fluke Codewriter]

AMEE from Red Plant, a good idea at the time.

Warbeast from Death Machine. Kick Azz