'Killer robots': Pentagon advances combat AI despite fears, opposition

The Army's Artificial Intelligence Task Force, with headquarters in the heart of the Rust Belt, is a crucial component of a grand Pentagon plan to incorporate robots and machine learning into 21st-century warfare. For skeptics, the task force is the concrete embodiment of how the U.S. is headed down a rocky, uncertain road that could put humanity itself in danger. The raging debate over AI, including its implications for the human race and the morality of its use in warfare, has divided the U.S. from some traditional allies. It also is fueling a growing band of activists who warn that "killer robots" are on the horizon of a military that has no comprehensive plan to stop them or understand their implications. Deep, philosophical questions about the ramifications of AI technology -- who is responsible for writing ethical guidelines, to what extent must humans remain in the loop, how much easier is it to fight a war fought (initially) by machines, and who bears the blame if a robot or drone ultimately targets humans -- are just beginning to be confronted in a systematic way.