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From: lag@cseg.uucp (L. Adrian Griffis)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Robots and Free Will
Summary: Isn't electronics in warfare a "life-affirming" use of technology?
Keywords: Robots, Electronic Warfare
Message-ID: <1643@cveg.uucp>
Date: 16 Jan 89 14:04:24 GMT
References: <3336@sdsu.UUCP> <43333@linus.UUCP>
Sender: netnews@cveg.uucp
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Lines: 58


In article <43333@linus.UUCP>, bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort) writes:
> In article <3336@sdsu.UUCP> caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi) raises
> the spectre of electronic warfare gone berserk:
> 
>  > The question is:  What happens when these intelligent warmongers
>  > get damaged from battle and yet retain their destructive functions? 
>  > Do they get out of control and start turning on other targets?
> 
> I am reminded of the PBS Nova interviews with the the scientists
> who worked on the Manhattan Project.  With one exception, they
> all came to regret the role they played in creating destructive
> applications of atomic energy.
> 
> If Richard's fears are to be abated, then us intelligent humans
> must take responsibility for the consequences of our efforts to
> create dangerous and powerful robotic machines.  Would it not be
> wiser if we dedicated our time and talent to life-affirming
> applications of our technology?

When we take an 18 year old kid and tell him, "Go storm that beach and
kill the enemy before he kills you," don't we owe it to that kid to
employ some technology to improve his chance of comming back.  Isn't that
what we are doing when we give two men a 46 million dollar F-14 carrying
one million dollar a shot Phoenix missles.

I've seen a lot of declassified information about the F-15.  As much as
it may be a shining example of the distasteful use of technology on warfare
to some, I'm struck by the effort that must have gone into the design of
backup systems to give the pilot a chance of getting out alive even if his
aircraft is crippled.

It's terrible to think about the immediate distruction caused by the 
atom bomb that we dropped on Hiroshima, and worse still to contemplate
the lingering death that it left behind.  But how many American and 
Japanese lives would we have thrown away if we had simply let the war
run its course without the atom bomb.

It's naive to talk about the morality of a weapon.  There have always
been needlessly cruel or inappropriate uses of a weapon, and people who
should not be trusted to use any weapon appropriately.  Talking about the
morality of a weapon system distracts us from the real issues:

   o  When should we use weapons.

   o  How should we use them.

   o  Who should make these decisions.

   o  If the weapon system itself makes these decisions, how can we
      be sure we will be satisfied with the decisions it makes.

Now, hold on a moment while I put on my asbestos suit.....

                                       L. Adrian Griffis

  UseNet:  lag@cseg.UUCP                 L. Adrian Griffis
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