If thereâÂÂs one thing weâÂÂve learned in recent years, itâÂÂs that humans arenâÂÂt great at predicting the consequences of technology. After all, social media platforms, which began as a way for friends to connect online, are today being used to radicalize terrorists and potentially swing presidential elections.
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If thereâs one thing weâve learned in recent years, itâs that humans arenât great at predicting the consequences of technology. After all, social media platforms, which began as a way for friends to connect online, are today being used to[radicalize terrorists]( and potentially[swing presidential elections](.
Imagine, then, the chaos that could ensue with new technologies that donât even pretend to be friendly. The advent of lethal autonomous weaponsââkiller robotsâ to detractorsâhas many analysts alarmed. Equipped with artificial intelligence, some of these weapons could, without proximate human control, select and eliminate targets with a speed and efficiency soldiers canât possibly match.
Seven nations are known to be pursuing such weapons: the US, China, Russia, Britain, France, Israel, and South Korea. Projects include AI-equipped[tanks]( jets]( and[machine guns](.
Self-imposed guidelines exist, but experts say theyâre insufficient. US military policy[mandates âappropriate levelsâ]( of human judgment when making firing decisions, but doesnât define that and allows for exceptions. The US is also among a handful of nations[standing in the way]( of international regulations in this arena. China says it[supports a ban]( on the use but not the development of the weapons.
Yet nothing short of a complete ban is required to prevent eventual disaster, says[a new report from Pax]( a Dutch anti-war NGO that fears an arms race breaking out.
The fear is merited. AI experts consider the weapons to be the â[third revolution in warfare]( (pdf). As with the first two, gunpowder and nuclear bombs, such systems could quickly prove their worth, giving the side that possesses them a nearly insurmountable advantage.
Without a ban, AI weapons could become established in militaries around the world. And as with social media, trying to apply regulations retroactively would prove difficult, with[fierce resistance]( from the companies involvedâand the technology racing ahead in the meantime.
As Pax states, âIt would be deeply unethical to delegate the decision over life and death to a machine or algorithms.â
The question is, will we act in time? Speed, as with AI weapons, is of the essence. âJustin Rohrlich
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Curbing Mark Zuckerbergâs power. The CEO of Facebook (and Instagram, and WhatsApp) has âstaggering,â âuncheckedâ influence as well as a monopolistic global position, writes Chris Hughes, a co-founder of the social media company, [in the New York Times]( (paywall). The antidote lies in breaking up the organization and establishing a US government agency focused on regulating big tech, he argues.
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Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, unisex pants, and eco-friendly earbuds to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by[downloading our app]( and[becoming a member](. Todayâs Weekend Brief was edited by Steve Mollman and Holly Ojalvo.
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