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Comments

• [1] Gary from UWS January 29, 2009 - 12:48PM

  The original "Star Trek" had an episode where they figured out how to have war without destroying physical buildings by computers calculating a nuclear strike and "victims" reporting to the incinerator. The brillant episode captured the idea that it's necessary for humans to experience real war in order to eventually end the madness.

  
  
• [2] Amy from Manhattan January 29, 2009 - 12:49PM

  What about the person controlling the robots? Are mistakes that cause civilian deaths more or less likely to be made by someone "back home" than by soldiers on the scene, either up close w/guns or at a distance w/shells?

  
  
• [3] Kevin from Blue Hill, Maine January 29, 2009 - 12:50PM

  I think that the bad part about drones will be that these will be available to those who can afford them. and then terrorists will be driving them around the US from abroad.

  
  
• [4] smidely January 29, 2009 - 12:50PM

  Love the fighting robots idea! Of course it is important that they are deployed by both sides...

  Robot vs. Robot -- now that's war porn!

  
  
• [5] ericf January 29, 2009 - 12:54PM

  the anbar awakening was a significant turning point in the iraq war. it involved human interaction and negotiation.

  how might the proliferation of military robots affect the prospects of this sort of thing in the future?

  
  
• [6] Dan Reidy from NJ January 29, 2009 - 12:55PM

  Land mines are autonomous killers. But you cant turn them off remotely.

  
  
• [7] David from Brooklyn January 29, 2009 - 12:58PM

  The scenario that Singer describes, in which the military robot pointed a machine gun turret at the group of VIPs is eeriely similar to something in the film Robocop--a film I'd always felt was scarily prescient. Disturbing, to be sure.