[C19fan]

Replacing citizen-soldiers with robots will have profound societal impacts. A major force behind the liberal-constitutionalism movements of the 19th century was the replacement of small professional armies with levée en masse armies. What happens in a country where robots can do the fighting and a governing elite does not need ordinary citizens to be soldiers?

[fruser1]

“what happens”

They enact red flag laws.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[EEGator]

Soylent Green, Terminator or Idiocracy.

[neverevergiveup]

But, ‘the three laws’..

[dfwgator]

From the movie “Patton”:

“Wonder weapons... my God, I don’t see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics, nothing is glorified... nothing is reaffirmed? No heroes, no cowards, no troops, no generals? Only those who are left alive... and those who are left dead. I’m glad I won’t live to see it.”

[Buckeye McFrog]

More frightening is the thought of this technology in the hands of environmental extremists who believe that Earth’s #1 problem is that it has too many people.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Soldiers sailors and airmen fighting with joy sticks. Uniform patches forthcoming. Purple Hearts for carpel tunnel syndrome.

[treetopsandroofs]

But-but-but.... what about the sacred Three Laws of Robotics?!

I’ve guffawed at Big Media when they often report on them being anything other than a fictional sci-fi construct.

[plain talk]

Robotic soldiers. Fully robotic factories. It’s coming.

[tbw2]

They’ve been debating letting armed UAVs shoot targets without asking for human permission for several years. That implies the robots can already kill per program.

[freedumb2003]

Wait, what about the First Law????

[Disambiguator]

Predictive programming from 50 years ago:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708414/

[PIF]

Already fielded by the Russian Army.

[DouglasKC]

Replacing citizen-soldiers with robots will have profound societal impacts. A major force behind the liberal-constitutionalism movements of the 19th century was the replacement of small professional armies with levée en masse armies. What happens in a country where robots can do the fighting and a governing elite does not need ordinary citizens to be soldiers?

Profound is the right word. Imagine a tiny oil rich country that hasn't the manpower but can afford to build a massive robot army and send it virtually anywhere without any way of identifying where it was sent from.

[Brilliant]

They did not keep it secret enough.

[Lazamataz]

In the short run, this will be the death of liberty.

In the long run, this will be the death of mankind.

[TADSLOS]

Old news.

[Ransomed]

I wonder what happens when drones can get really small and maneuverable like wasps or bees. Someone will be tempted to deploy swarms with facial/identity recognition capabilities and some type of nerve agent delivery system. Then you bring in drone-killing drones to defend against it if you have tech I guess.

When the technology replaces volunteers/mercenaries with drones, citizens will become even more removed and apathetic about foreign engagements than they are now with no conscription for decades. Although there might be a lot more war footage to be seen by then and released on the internet so maybe it would be a draw.

Freegards

[Vaquero]

[Boogieman]

Robot soldiers don’t flinch when ordered to fire on civilians.