Are we entering an age of killer robots?

The world's militaries are close enough to wielding weapons that decide on their own whether to kill -- called Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems -- that the United Nations this week gathered a select few experts, including an ASU researcher, to separate fact from fear of robot overlords. Dr. Heather Roff, research scientist with ASU's Global Security Initiative and current Oxford senior research fellow, is testifying on the unintended risks of such weapons, and where many autonomous or semi-autonomous weapons currently exist. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence and human control. Dr. Heather Roff, researcher at ASU's Global Security Initiative, testifies at a UN meeting of experts to consider lethal autonomous weapons. Dr. Roff's testimony focuses on unintentional risks of autonomous weapons systems, including artificial intelligence and human control.