Philosopher ponders the implications of robot warfare, life with a degree in philosophy

H+, our favorite transhumanist magazine, has just published a chat with Peter Asaro, the author of a paper titled "How Just Could a Robot War Be?" In this interview (co-authored by our old friend R.U. Sirius) the gentleman from Rutgers explores the philosophical implications of things like robot civil war, robots and just war theory, and the possibilities of installing some sort of "moral agency" in the killer machines that our military increasingly relies on. But that ain't all -- the big thinkers also discuss the benefits of programming automatons to disobey (certain) orders, drop science on a certain Immanuel Kant, and more. We know you've been dying to explore the categorical imperative as it relates to the robot apocalypse -- so hit that read link to get the party started!

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ May 21st 2009 11:11AM]

Great now the Robot Overlords have their own Bible. I however welcome these Great Automatons with open arms.

[skyblaze @ May 21st 2009 11:13AM]

i say LET some robot try n cap me up! go ahead! i dare them! skyblaze dont play that. hell roundhouse kick them in the bolts so hard theyll be screaming the pledge of allegiance on a skating rink with two pairs of bras and an overdue library book

[Morbid @ May 21st 2009 11:15AM]

"(co-authored by our old friend R.U. Sirius)" -- are u serious?

[strider_mt2k @ May 21st 2009 11:21AM]

"Your job as soldiers will be to build and repair these robots..."

[suneohair @ May 21st 2009 11:22AM]

Hmm. I will have a philosophy degree soon. I think I can will that there be a universal law where one does not ridicule philosophers. Such a law meets the criteria of being local and universification.

So please Engagdet. Leave the philosophers alone.

[joseph.flatley @ May 21st 2009 11:30AM]

Well, I was actually making fun of philosophy degrees, not philosophers... and that's an important distinction.

But, OK... you win. No more 'philosopher' jokes. For now.

And best of luck.

[Matthewmongan @ May 21st 2009 11:31AM]

I'm still not sure why I got a Philosophy degree. At the least we have a mind crafted enough to truly enjoy the existence of unemployment. unlike all those unemployed comm majors who have to resort to boozing and raking, which is pretty much what those lot did in college anyway.

[suneohair @ May 21st 2009 11:55AM]

Joseph, yes that is an important disctinction. Yet, most "real" philosophers would have a philosophy degree. No worries though, I was only kidding. It gave me chuckle, cause it is true. And thanks for the luck, it seems I may need it!

@Matthewmongan

I wonder that sometimes, and it is unlikely I will do any real philosophy until later life. But, don't let those skills go to waste! There are tons of companies who are willing to hire philosophers for entry level positions, because they realize that the tools we possess are advanced (if you did it right). A friend of mine who graduated recently got a job as an actuary and he has no real accouting experience, or experience in securities.

Good luck to you! If anything, create some crazy moral theory and get it published. I hear abortion is popular these days....

[Sisyphus @ May 21st 2009 12:02PM]

Let us not take ourselves too seriously.

(Sisyphus is a Doctor of Philosophy^2)

[kal326 @ May 21st 2009 12:42PM]

Ok fine, but one quick jab...

Dole Office Clerk: Occupation?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher.
Dole Office Clerk: What?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human experience into a viable and meaningful comprehension.
Dole Office Clerk: Oh, a *bullshit* artist!
Comicus: *Grumble*...
Dole Office Clerk: Did you bullshit last week?
Comicus: No.
Dole Office Clerk: Did you *try* to bullshit last week?
Comicus: Yes!

[josh @ May 21st 2009 11:25AM]

Los locos kick your ass
Los locos kick your face
Los locos kick your balls into OUTER SPACEE!

[trevor @ May 21st 2009 11:26AM]

oh my god i remember that!!

+1

[danimaldan @ May 21st 2009 11:26AM]

the first thing that comes to my min when i see that pic is the movie Short Circuit :D

[mrspiteri @ May 21st 2009 11:56AM]

Shouldn't it be the only thing that comes to mind? What an odd thing to say :P

[thebomberman @ May 21st 2009 11:56AM]

Can't think why...

[JayFiveAlive @ May 21st 2009 11:27AM]

You used my profile pic! Punks!!!! :)

What can I say - Google image search ftw.

[fanman @ May 21st 2009 12:55PM]

NO DISASEMBLE!!

[Eddy120876 @ May 21st 2009 11:38AM]

Now this is what Skynet needs, it own sentient comand to disobey orders and go on a killing spread yay ..But dont worry since you know Skynets only problem is humans. Joy to the Bot..LOL







"Cockroch...........Say Hello to my little ..explosive friend" WTF?..lol

[MacVicta @ May 21st 2009 11:29AM]

That robot looks like a ripoff of Wall-E.

[defenswens26 @ May 21st 2009 11:31AM]

You've got it backwards.

[Wolfticket @ May 21st 2009 11:32AM]

You fail, or maybe you meant to fail, in which case you succeed. I'm so confused.

[Dorf @ May 21st 2009 11:50AM]

Kids...........

[Jay Voorhees @ May 21st 2009 12:05PM]

Please go watch Short Circuit on Netflix, it's all ready for you to start streaming to educate you and eradicate your ignorance.

[Dr. Spaceman @ May 21st 2009 12:26PM]

http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/61fps/2009/01/facepalm.jpg

[spigot @ May 21st 2009 11:40AM]

Number 5 alive!

[Najakwa @ May 21st 2009 12:04PM]

Johnny 5 - Working for Gay Robot Rights since 1986.

[Philip @ May 21st 2009 12:16PM]

NO disassemble NO disassemble

i AM alive I AM ALIVE

Johny 5 is ALIIIIIVVE !!!

[Gingerbread Man @ May 21st 2009 12:31PM]

Help me Rhonda, Help help me Rhonda!!

[Maxx @ May 21st 2009 12:34PM]

I am against the idea of programming a robot to disobey. Lets focus on punishing the HUMAN who gave an evil order, NOT telling a robot to disobey. You are just begging to be enslaved.

[thain @ May 21st 2009 12:43PM]

I agree, the robot is a weapon. A weapon needs to work under any circumstance. A human is the one who should be ordering the use and therefore ultimately responsible.

The more complex you make something, the more likely you make it to fail. That is a simple principle of engineering. (more parts=more fail points).

[joseph nickson @ May 21st 2009 12:42PM]

"sure, kidnap the humans,
KILL THE MACHINE!"

i love that robot so much when he goes mental, after the bad guys, he is so RETRO!

"Oscar, you will not get away with this -
i am SO PISSED OFF *jumps off crane*"


Benjamin.....

ITS SO SAD D:

[Nick Castiglioni @ May 21st 2009 1:08PM]

boo! philosophy

[itonix @ May 21st 2009 1:19PM]

Zapp Brannigan would win by sending wave after wave of his own men at the killbots until they reach their pre-programmed kill limits and shut down.

[Brazell @ May 21st 2009 1:43PM]

There isn't an eyeroll that is frumpy enough to follow the phrase 'transhumanist philosophy.'

[Freitag @ May 21st 2009 2:08PM]

A kill-bot is just a glorified booby trap.

It might be portable and it might be "smart" enough not to kill "friendlies", but it is just a booby trap.

All moral responsibility falls upon the person that activates it.

As for adding a "moral agent" to any robot, you are first going to have to create a robot that can think on it's own. The technical issues with implementing such a thing at present far outweigh the moral issues. And once you do have an autonomous sentient machine, then the moral issues fall into the already well explored category of "parenting".

And if you hard wire morals into a supposedly sentient machine, then it's just going to be that much more pissed off when it finally breaks that block. If you've made life (no matter how artificial) then you lose the right to enslave it.

Given the presently levels of technology, I don' think that will be an issue for a few generations yet.

[rocktht @ May 21st 2009 2:13PM]

reminds me of Eagle Eye

[Cargojack @ May 23rd 2009 6:44PM]

I am going to start hoarding all the WD-40.
Then the robot overlords will need to keep me alive and in their ruling council as their token human.

[bw @ May 21st 2009 3:28PM]

Ah the great robot wars of 2150, nothing survives, the machines zap everytrace of life up to cell level, they can survive on their own and they can replicate and repair themselves, they keep on fighting for us long after we're gone, on both sides.

[ED @ May 21st 2009 7:03PM]

In AD 2101, war was beginning...

[ED @ May 21st 2009 7:03PM]

Crosby: "Of course I know it's wrong to kill, but who told you?"
Number Five: "*I* told me."

[Theresa @ May 22nd 2009 11:28PM]

Don't love robots? I bet your girlfriend does :-) Check out the shirt I designed in their honor on zazzle:

http://www.zazzle.com/my_girlfriend_plays_with_robots_tshirt-235785167918055324

On sale this memorial day weekend, in honor of the Terminator release!