RAF drones could kill without the need for human operators: AI may let machines pick targets and fire at will

British military drones bringing death from above could be capable of firing on targets without the need for a human operator. A new drone being developed by French and British military contractors for use by the RAF, is being built with capabilities of selecting and engaging targets using artificial intelligence. While human intervention is required under international law, the Taranis drone could potentially become fully autonomous if the laws change, taking humans out of the loop and leaving the decision-making to the machines. A new drone being developed by French and British military contractors for use by the RAF, is being built with capabilities of selecting and engaging targets using artificial intelligence, removing the need for humans in the decision-making process. Developed by BAE Systems, the Taranis drone is named after the Celtic god of thunder and is designed to stealthily approach and attack targets, without being detected.