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The Reith Lectures: AI in warfare

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What is AI and should we fear it?

08/12/2021 GMT

AI in warfare

BBC World Service - The Reith Lectures, AI in warfareSearch BBC

What role will AI play in the future of military conflict?

From drones to robots, what should be the role of AI in military operations? Weapons that locate, select, and engage human targets without human supervision are already available for use in warfare, so what role will AI play in the future of military conflict? Will AI reduce collateral damage and civilian casualties, or will autonomous weapons kill on a scale not seen since Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Will future wars be fought entirely by machines, or will one side surrender only when its real losses, military or civilian, become unacceptable? Stuart Russell will examine the motivation of major powers developing these types of weapons, the morality of creating algorithms that decide to kill humans, and possible ways forward for the international community as it struggles with these questions.

The lectures are chaired by presenter, journalist and author, Anita Anand.

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