Artificially Intelligent Machines for Warfare
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Overview
Artificially intelligent machines are “alive” and well in today’s areas of conflict. Primarily being developed for the US Department of Defense, robots are being deployed to perform missions ranging from bomb sniffing to surveillance. There are small strides being made little by little to achieve what is depicted in Hollywood movies. Robin Laird, who is a supervisor of the Unmanned Systems Branch of the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) in San Diego, reports that “We're probably 10 to 20 years behind the least sophisticated system you'd see in something like Terminator.”
Ground achievements thus far
The United States Marine Corps is currently employing the Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV) who’s main job duties currently consist of reconnaissance, surveillance, direct combat, personal obstacle breaching. The TUGV can be equipped with light rockets, a grenade launcher or 7.62mm M240 machine gun. Another classification of robot is bomb sniffers. These robots are specifically designed with highly sensitive cameras, lights and sensing equipment. The US military will spend 1.7 billion US dollars between 2006 -2012 on ground robot technology alone. There are currently 5000 robots deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan with varying jobs. Bomb sniffers are priority because of the US casualties absorbed by IEDs. More than 70% of all US casualties are due to road side bombs and IEDs in the US efforts overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Air achievements thus far
MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial device that has flown hundreds of missions since being deployed by the US. This plane uses highly sophisticated camera and sensing equipment to perform tasks ranging from surveillance to assassination missions. The Predator is capable of firing two Hellfire Missiles. On February 7, 2002, the CIA used an armed Predator to fire upon a convoy. This convoy was transporting Qaed Senyan al-Harthi, the al-Qaeda leader thought to be responsible for the bombing of the USS Cole that took US lives. While the Predator is controlled by humans, it does have self deciding software systems. If one of the 4 sensors on the plane were to become compromised, the other 3 sensors calculate a way to work as if all sensors were operational. By 2010 the US pentagon hopes to have Boeing’s X-45 employed more for designated “kill boxes” than the MQ-1 Predator. The highly sophisticated software computer systems onboard this plane constantly scans areas for targets given to it by US officials. As Col. Michael Leahy the program director for the X-45 puts it “If the aircraft sees a target that matches its memory, it hits it and tells the humans about it later.”
Links
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal104/uav.cfm
http://www.popsci.com/gear-gadgets/article/2004-02/terror-games
http://www.aaai.org/aitopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AITopics/Military
References
“Machines Are Filling In for Troops” 16, April 2002. 12 April 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/16/science/16REMO.html?pagewanted=2
“Military to Use Bomb-Sniffing Robots” 30, March 2007. 12 April 2009. http://www.physorg.com/news94453571.html
“Battlefield Robots Leap From Science Fiction to Reality” 1, July 2004. 12 April 2009. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0701_040701_armyrobot.html
“Military Employs Bomb-Sniffing Robots” 30, March 2007. 12 April 2009. http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,130651,00.html
“Robotic Warfare” 15, December 2002. 12 April 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15ROBO.html