warfare through robotic eyes
DESCRIPTION
John Sullins fPET-2010 presentationTRANSCRIPT
Warfare Through Warfare Through Robotic Eyes Robotic Eyes
John P. SullinsJohn P. Sullins
Associate ProfessorAssociate Professor
PhilosophyPhilosophy
Sonoma State UniversitySonoma State University
CaliforniaCalifornia
2010 Forum on Philosophy, Engineering & Technology (fPET-2010)
XJ9: Robot Eye by ~MentalFloss
Robotics, Philosophy and Robotics, Philosophy and EngineeringEngineering
Robotics technology Robotics technology recall many issues recall many issues in the philosophy of in the philosophy of technologytechnology
Here we will focus Here we will focus onon Engineering design Engineering design
choices that raise choices that raise certain certain epistemological epistemological concernsconcerns
QuestionsQuestions How do these systems influence How do these systems influence
the way the human agents who the way the human agents who use them ‘see’ the battlefield?use them ‘see’ the battlefield? And conversely, how are these And conversely, how are these
machines seen by the human machines seen by the human agents who may be targets or agents who may be targets or witnesses of the military actions witnesses of the military actions propagated by these technologies? propagated by these technologies?
How do these systems change How do these systems change the way armed conflict is seen the way armed conflict is seen and understood by politicians and understood by politicians and non-combatants?and non-combatants?
SeeingSeeing Warfare Through Warfare Through Robotic SensorsRobotic Sensors
Robotic technology Robotic technology as a mode of as a mode of knowledge-knowledge-productionproduction From the angle of the From the angle of the
warfighters using the warfighters using the technologytechnology
And from the point of And from the point of view of the victims view of the victims and bystandersand bystanders
Through a Scanner Through a Scanner DarklyDarkly
The machine is an The machine is an epistemic filter epistemic filter Combat situation Combat situation TelepresenceTelepresence Friend or foeFriend or foe Legitimate target statusLegitimate target status Intentions of human Intentions of human
agents in target areaagents in target area These distinctions are These distinctions are
always problems for always problems for warfighters warfighters But robots add a new But robots add a new
layer of epistemic layer of epistemic difficulty difficulty
Robot TelepistemologyRobot Telepistemology
Changes how we Changes how we make life and make life and death decisionsdeath decisions
Changes our Changes our relationship to relationship to armed conflictarmed conflict Makes it easier Makes it easier to to
contemplate contemplate And tolerateAnd tolerate
the Ripsaw MS1 with “the ability to conduct mission(s) in urban areas that were previously too dangerous or hazardous.” Source
Telepistemological NoiseTelepistemological Noise Occurs when information is Occurs when information is
influenced by transmission influenced by transmission and retrieval processand retrieval process
Two main locationsTwo main locations Noise in the technological Noise in the technological
medium the data is medium the data is transmitted throughtransmitted through ‘‘Noise’ in the perception of Noise’ in the perception of
the data due tothe data due to Operator’s trainingOperator’s training And preconceived notions And preconceived notions
about the data as it is about the data as it is presented by the systempresented by the system
defense-update.com/products/p/pacbot.htm
Seeing the Foe at a Seeing the Foe at a Distance Distance
The sensors on the The sensors on the machine (and the machine (and the systems back where systems back where the pilot is the pilot is controlling the controlling the machine) process the machine) process the information and then information and then present it to the present it to the operator thus operator thus mediating the mediating the operator’s beliefs operator’s beliefs about the world about the world
The Air of Precision The Air of Precision How much precision is How much precision is
obtained by these obtained by these systemssystems The machines send back a The machines send back a
great deal of datagreat deal of data But that data takes time But that data takes time
to understand and to understand and synthesize, and time is a synthesize, and time is a luxury on the battlefieldluxury on the battlefield This necessitates making This necessitates making
decisions that may be decisions that may be rushed and based on an rushed and based on an incomplete incomplete understanding of the understanding of the situation at hand (as situation at hand (as reported in singer, 2009)reported in singer, 2009)
Source
The Air of InvulnerabilityThe Air of Invulnerability Armed robots provide Armed robots provide
a layer of perceived a layer of perceived invulnerability invulnerability Contributes to Contributes to
epistemic noise within epistemic noise within the operators of the the operators of the machinemachine
Because the operator Because the operator is somewhat is somewhat untouchableuntouchable
This could give the This could give the operator a sense that operator a sense that the action is antiseptic the action is antiseptic and sterileand sterile
Being Seen as Being Seen as Semiautonomous Semiautonomous Weapons Systems Weapons Systems There is a second There is a second
epistemic directionepistemic direction These machines These machines
are our persona to are our persona to the worldthe world They are becoming They are becoming
the image we the image we project to our project to our enemies and others enemies and others who witness our who witness our engagements engagements
Source
Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images
The View from the The View from the Ground Ground
Victims Victims CowardlyCowardly Believe civilian Believe civilian
casualties are high casualties are high (Singer 2009)(Singer 2009)
AlliesAllies Public anger over Public anger over
civilian casualtiescivilian casualties Amnesty International Amnesty International
““Anything that Anything that dehumanizes the dehumanizes the process makes it easier process makes it easier to pull the trigger.” (NY to pull the trigger.” (NY Times, Dec 3, 2009)Times, Dec 3, 2009)
Soldiers on the groundSoldiers on the ground Feel like they have more in Feel like they have more in
common with their enemies common with their enemies than they do with the drone than they do with the drone pilots (Singer 2009)pilots (Singer 2009)
American Military American Military CommandCommand ““Warheads on foreheads” Warheads on foreheads”
(NY Times, Dec 3, 2009)(NY Times, Dec 3, 2009) American PoliticiansAmerican Politicians
Wide bipartisan supportWide bipartisan support High priority of both Bush High priority of both Bush
and Obama Administration and Obama Administration to expand military and CIA to expand military and CIA use (NY Times, Dec 3, use (NY Times, Dec 3, 2009)2009)
A Machine Powered by A Machine Powered by Carnage Carnage
A strange taleA strange tale The energetically The energetically
autonomous autonomous tactical robot tactical robot (EATR)™ (patent (EATR)™ (patent pending) project, pending) project, which is being which is being pursed by the US pursed by the US company robotic company robotic technology technology incorporated (RTI)incorporated (RTI)
The Robotic Omnivore's The Robotic Omnivore's Dilemma Dilemma
Releasing large omnivorous Releasing large omnivorous machines powered by biomass machines powered by biomass into an ecosystem is likely to into an ecosystem is likely to cause environmental havoc cause environmental havoc
Choosing items to ingest is not Choosing items to ingest is not a value neutral undertaking a value neutral undertaking and the robot will have to have and the robot will have to have a robust ability to judge the a robust ability to judge the value of what it ingestsvalue of what it ingests
It is uncertain whether or not It is uncertain whether or not it is a good idea to add an it is a good idea to add an artificial species to the top of artificial species to the top of the food chainthe food chain
Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot -- that's right, "EATR" -- "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.
Values and Robotics Values and Robotics Warfare has been a major Warfare has been a major
factor in the emergence of factor in the emergence of functional roboticsfunctional robotics This means design decisions This means design decisions
focus on combat focus on combat telepistemologytelepistemology
We are focusing on robot We are focusing on robot as guardian and worker, as guardian and worker, when will we focus on the when will we focus on the robot as friend and robot as friend and philosopher? philosopher?
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