The Pentagon has a plan to replace human soldiers with robots. Is this a good thing?

Question

In 2005, the Pentagon announced a plan to replace up to 30% of human soldiers with robots by 2035. At this stage, no specific details about the type(s) of robots have been revealed. However, given that the technology surrounding robots is progressing very rapidly, it is conceivable that a humanoid soldier is possible by that year. Do you think that there should be robot soldiers in the future? What are your reasons?

The issue is compounded by recent two recent technological advances: first, scientists have announced success in grafting bone to steel, thus allowing a steel stub from a severed stump to which a fully functional steel prosthetic limb can now be attached. It’s early days, but you know quickly technology can advance. That advance will be great for maimed veterans of the US military, and other militaries. Second, MIT scientists (again) have successfully implanted a microchip into a paralyzed volunteer’s brain such that he can now operate various electronic devices simply with his thought-commands. This is an extension of technology that’s been around for a few years now. Essentially, the material boundary between what is human and machine is now in jeopardy, except perhaps for the brain. So, Robo-Cop is now not just a possibility but a distinct probability, as is Terminator. Am I alarmist? Well, has anything or anybody stopped the US military yet?

Answer 1

My answer is no, because I'm anti-military, period. Beside, it's one more cowardly way of waging not war, but sociopathic slaughter against weaker nations. Ideally, if a developed nation really wants to think they are such brave heroes, why not fight on equal terms? If Israel is so courageous, why not fight Palestinians with sticks and stones, rather than war planes? Remote warfare is murderous cowardice, especially the robotic type. Didn't we learn anything from Terminator 1? Weren't the people of Earth cheered for stopping the impersonal, unstoppable killng machine? But naturally, if others say it, it is propaganda; the same words from our own mouths are called education or information. If the so-called enemy had robot soldiers, it would be evil; if WE have them, then WHOA! USA! NUMBER ONE! WOOF WOOF WOOF! Bovine manure!

Answer 2

Why do you think this is a good thing that the human will, tested over the entire course of human history to be no match to the fingers of corrupt leaders who do their bidding by simply pushing the buttons to run these robots? You may think this is humane to replace the soldiers sent to do the war for them but the end result is the same: to kill human beings at its generalized idea, the equation is the same. In any case scenario, the result is the same: this will have a profound effect on the will of mankind- that once defeated and all hope abandon, will trigger the end of humanity for all. The few who controls the many machine will then conspire to enslave the human population of the world. If we allow this to happen, then we are all really doomed. Is war really the answer to all solution, or is war in reality, just a product of war industries who profit from it? Why do we keep supporting these people who profit in the war business to deal with human nature?

Answer 3

Robots and mechanized, remote vehicles (i.e.-the Predator and GlobalHawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV) are powerful tools, and some of these have been in use for many years, especially in EOD, or explosive ordinance disposal.

The new generation of these machines are designed to carry weapons, at the moment only small arms (FutureWeapons TV show, Discovery Channel), but an unmanned remote controlled vehicle is being developed as a tracked, mobile artillary piece.

In my opinion (which is, in reality worth somewhere between nothing and less than that), is that these machines are incredibly powerful tools, and will help to not only provide our servicemen and women across the armed forces be more flexible, capable and lethal, it will also help reduce their exposure to the danger, although, in war, that can never be truly eliminated.

Answer 4

They mostly mean equipment transporting or gun platform machines (think bomb squad robot), and they come up with new BS plans to justify cutting back standing army strength in peace time with technology only to find in war that we need the bodies & get lower quality inexperienced folks if we have to make them up fast in an emergency. It's BS. I'm pretty sure the pentagon literally has a plan on what to do if invaded by 30 different categories of alien as well, that doesn't mean it's important or serious.

Answer 5

Well i know the Americans are on the verge of inventing a tank that is operated by a computer so maybe robotic soldiers would be a good thing for the near future.

Answer 6

Ha ha what to say they were messed with movies like Terminator2,Irobot,Evlolver,Robocop .I say one thing Humanoids or watever they cant act smart as a well trained soldier if their algorithm is corroupted or traced by others the Pentagons will suffer a lot and cant rectify so the final resul will be tragic so it is a money wasting reserch.One thing i say Humanoids have no humanity

Answer 7

i'm a computer specialist. in the previous human beings complained that pcs ought to displace many human beings. they did not! instead, they made extra market and new jobs for individuals. seem on the 1000's of job sorts which have sprung up around the computer market. Capitalism has a fashion of continuously looking a favor to fill.

Answer 8

It is a good thing, for the people creating the robot soldiers. USA has a big gun industry and they need wars to produce more.

Answer 9

As long as some one is operating the controls, like a video game, I will have no problems with that...

If you give them intellegence, and they start to make the decisions, then we may all just be "useless humanoids" to them and they may wipe us from the face of the earth :)

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 10

Absolutely. That's the most compassionate military plan I've ever heard!