In this episode, I break down the current landscape of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and how this era of exponentially improving AI converges with violent motives. What will the future of war look like in a world that relies on autonomous systems to make life-or-death decisions? Who will we hold accountable when people get innocent people killed by these autonomous systems?

I begin by talking about one of the many Billion-dollar ties Big Tech companies have with the US military to develop AI-enabled weapons. They profit off of tech that specializes in high-precision killing. These same companies are leading this AI revolution with a priority on profits over safety. I then introduce a coalition called ‘Stop Killer Robots’ which advocates for human control to stay in the use of force. Sign their petition here.

There is a current real-world test case for LAWS and it’s happening in Palestine. The Israeli Defense Force’s use of AI systems to choose bombing targets and high-precision weapons. I introduce the Future of Life Institute and Toby Walsh - a leading AI expert - who launched an Open Letter which now has over 5,000 AI expert signatures. The open letter calls for immediate action to ban the development of Autonomous Weapons. Finally, I briefly talk about UCAVs and where autonomous drone weapons are currently heading.

This is not a part of the reboot episodes, I just thought this was a really important aspect of future AI risks to brief people on. Share this with people you love and stay hopeful! Change can and will happen. <3