by Paul Scharre
First published 2018
Paul Scharre draws on his experience as a Pentagon defense expert and former U.S. Army Ranger to investigate autonomous weapons technology. He traces the evolution from World War II German noise-seeking Wren torpedoes to modern homing missiles, autonomous cyber weapons, submarine-hunting robot ships, and robot tank armies. Scharre examines the movement to prohibit these weapons and analyzes the legal and ethical questions they raise. Through conversations with defense specialists, ethicists, psychologists, and activists, he explores the concept of "centaur warfighters" who would blend human judgment with machine intelligence on future battlefields. The book highlights both technological advances and dangerous system failures, including the computer breakdown that struck advanced F-22 fighter jets during their first flight across the International Date Line. Scharre addresses the central question of whether machines should have authority over life and death decisions in warfare.
Genres: science, non-fiction, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence, military-history, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Audio CD · Tantor Media Inc