Wired for War: The Science Fiction/Reality of Robots, War and Politics in the 21st Century

11.00am - 12.00pm

As our weapons are designed to have ever more autonomy, deeper questions arise. Can the new armaments reliably separate friend from foe? What laws and ethical codes apply? What are we saying when we send out unmanned ma­chines to fight for us? What is the “message” that those on the other side receive? Ultimately, how will humans remain masters of weapons that are immeasurably faster and more “intelligent” than they ­are?

Dr Peter W. Singer
 
Peter W. Singer is the director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative and a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institute in Washington DC. Singer’s research focuses on three core issues: the future of war, current U.S. defense needs and future priorities, and the future of the U.S. defense system. Singer lectures frequently to U.S. military audiences and is the author of several books and articles, including Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century. Further information on Dr Singer and his writing can be sourced at http://www.pwsinger.com/
 
Dr Singer’s book Wired for War was selected for inclusion in the 2010 CAF Reading List. Copies of the list will be available at the presentation.