Critics fear it’s another dangerous step toward life-or-death decision-making robots
An Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot it says can patrol war zones, track intruders and open fire. Unmanned vehicles are the latest addition to the world of drone technology, rapidly transforming the modern battlefield.
Proponents say such semi-autonomous machines would allow armies to protect their soldiers, while critics fear it is another dangerous step toward robots making life-or-death decisions.
The four-wheel-drive robot presented Monday was developed by “REX MKII” of state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries.
It is powered by an electronic tablet and can be fitted with two machine guns, cameras and sensors, said Rani Avni, deputy head of the company’s autonomous systems division. The robot can gather intelligence for ground troops, carry wounded soldiers and supplies in and out of combat, and attack nearby targets.
It is the most advanced of the more than half a dozen unmanned vehicles developed by ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Aerospace Industries, over the past 15 years.
The Israeli military is currently using a smaller but similar vehicle called the Jaguar to patrol the border along the Gaza Strip and to enforce a blockade imposed by Israel in 2007 after the small area was seized by the Islamic terrorist group Hamas. is helping.
Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians, largely locked out by a blockade, which is also supported to some extent by Egypt. The border area is the site of frequent protests and occasional attempts by Palestinian militants or desperate laborers to infiltrate into Israel.
According to the Israeli Army website, the semi-autonomous Jaguar is equipped with a machine gun and was designed to reduce soldiers’ exposure to threats patrolling the volatile Gaza-Israeli border. It is one of several devices, including drones equipped with guided missiles, that have given Israel’s military vast technological superiority over Hamas.
Unmanned ground vehicles are increasingly being used by other armies, including the United States, Britain, and Russia. Their tasks include logistic support, removal of mines and firing with weapons.
The tablet can control the vehicle manually. But many of its functions, including its movement and surveillance system, can also run autonomously.
“With every mission, the device collects more data that it learns about for future missions,” said Yoni Gedj, an operations specialist in the company’s robotics division.
Critics have raised concerns that robotic arms may automatically decide, perhaps erroneously, to shoot targets. The company says such capabilities exist but are not being offered to customers.
“It is also possible to make the weapon autonomous, however, it is the decision of the user today,” said Mr. Avni. “The system or user is not yet mature.”
Bonnie Docherty, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch’s weapons division, said such weapons are worrisome because they are not relied upon to differentiate between combatants and civilians or to make proper calls about the harm they cause to civilians nearby. can go.
“Machines cannot understand the value of human life, which in essence undermines human dignity and violates human rights laws,” Docherty said. In a 2012 report, Ms. Docherty, a Harvard Law School lecturer, called for a ban on fully automatic weapons by international law.
Defense magazine Jens said the development of autonomous ground vehicles has lagged behind autonomous planes and boats because walking on land is far more complex than navigating water or air. The report said that unlike in the open ocean, vehicles have to deal with “holes in the road” and know how much force to exert to overcome a physical obstacle.
Technology in self-driving vehicles has also raised concerns. Electric car maker Tesla, among other companies, has been linked to a series of fatal accidents, including an incident in Arizona in 2018 when a woman was hit by a car driving on Autopilot.
The Israeli drone vehicle is on display at the Defense and Security Systems International Weapons Trade Show in London this week.
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