Robot Wars returns: How killer AI has become terrifyingly commonplace

Robot Wars does highlight the destructive potential of robots, and the show is returning to our screens when this is more relevant – and topical – than ever. The recent incident where Dallas police used a bomb disposal robot to blow up the sniper responsible for the deaths of five police officers earlier this month is a case in point. In that incident the robot was remote controlled rather than programmed with the ability to make its own decision (AI) yet still a line was crossed, for Sharkey. "This robot has speakers on it and a camera, and a microphone." says Sharkey. "But the police didn't drive it in and say: 'Look, we're going to blow you to pieces if you don't surrender, now are you going to drop your guns and come out?' So they used the robot with no chance of surrender, and that is a real worry."