Over 2,400 leading leading scientists and researchers specializing in artificial intelligence have taken a firm stance against wielding their technology in a lethal way.
Demis Hassabis from Google DeepMind and Elon Musk of SpaceX are some of the bigger names who have signed a pledge against manufacturing, building, developing, using, or selling AI robots that can target or attack humans without oversight. 170 other AI-related firms, businesses and organizations have also signed the pledge.
The pledge was facilitated by The Future of Life Institute, which is a Cambridge-based nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the regulation of dangerous AI technologies.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to play an increasing role in military systems,” reads the pledge. “There is an urgent opportunity and necessity for citizens, policymakers, and leaders to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI.
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“In this light, we the undersigned agree that the decision to take a human life should never be delegated to a machine. There is a moral component to this position, that we should not allow machines to make life-taking decisions for which others – or nobody – will be culpable.”
In addition to the pledge, 26 countries in the United Nations have endorsed a ban on the use and development of lethal autonomous weapons systems, also known as LAWS.
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If other countries do not sign this pledge, could our soldiers be at risk?