The limits to what humans can create seem bound only by the limits of human imagination. Advances in computing and connectivity have thrust us into a new world of increasingly sophisticated robots and other "autonomous systems." Such progress, while exciting, can provoke anxiety and pose ethical challenges. Erin Hahn, a senior national security analyst at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, described the challenges that she has identified in research with the U.S. Defense Department. Rather than explore the vast possibilities of what can be built, she focused on determining what should be built.
Autonomous systems can apprehend complex environments and react without human intervention. Hahn began her session with videos of robots created by Boston Dynamics showing a robotic dog, "Spot," and humanoid, "Atlas," performing everyday tasks. The images underscored the range of emotions prompted by autonomous systems. While initially we may find the robots' capabilities exciting—even feeling sympathy when they are pushed and prodded by humans—eventually we may feel alarm when considering the long-term risks posed by such lifelike machines. This same range of emotions has found expression in popular culture. On the one hand, there are C-3PO and R2-D2, the friendly autonomous robots who help Luke Skywalker save part of a galaxy in "Star Wars." On the other hand, there are the lethal autonomous systems in "The Terminator" that threaten to destroy the world.
Given the broad spectrum of associations, Hahn emphasized the imperative of aligning government policy with public attitudes. We must responsibly create systems so that we can trust the technology that we develop as we interact with it and deploy it on a large scale. Hahn highlighted four elements of trust when considering mobilizing autonomous systems for military purposes:
We must determine how the system handles intent. When a system operates without human direction, we must ensure that it can identify an enemy's unarmed surrender. Such a safeguard would ensure we meet our commitments to international law.
We must determine who is accountable if something goes wrong. Who is ultimately responsible for the actions of an autonomous system? Can autonomous systems fully understand commander intent? Are developers at fault if there is a failure?
We must ensure that autonomy will not desensitize us to violence. Will it be easier to hit the "kill button" with these technologies than to pull the trigger on a pistol? Will our behavior and ethics change as we mobilize machines on military missions?
We must ensure that autonomous machines will not lead us to dystopia. Some experts in technology, including Bill Gates and Elon Musk, believe that if not properly controlled, sophisticated autonomous systems and artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Are we thinking through the potential consequences of what we are building?
Hahn emphasized the importance of setting standards to ensure the systems we create are worthy of our trust over the long term. With a steady pace of innovation, generations will be born that know only a world with autonomous technology. Their dependence may help speed creation of more adept autonomous systems. Eventually, humans may deploy systems that could operate beyond our control. If we were to create machinery that crosses that threshold, would we be able to rein it in? The question underscores the essential distinction at the core of Hahn's research—not what can we build, but what should we build.
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