Rolls-Royce reveals autonomous naval vessel powered by artificial intelligence

Engineering giant Rolls-Royce plans to make an autonomous navy ship, powered by artificial intelligence, sophisticated sensors and advanced propulsion, for sale to militaries throughout the world. The British company, known for its aircraft engines and luxury automotive heritage, revealed a concept version of the naval vessel in multiple photos released Tuesday. Amid increasing concern among some technologists about the prospect of self-aware artificial intelligence systems becoming a threat to humanity, Rolls-Royce said it was already conducting "significant analysis of potential cyber risks" to "ensure end-to-end security." With range of 3,500 nautical miles, the 60-meter-long Rolls-Royce vessel would be able to operate on its own without human intervention for more than 100 days. Its missions could include patrol and surveillance, fleet watch or sea mine detection.