.
2013
Rise of the Drones (FULL doc) | NOVA | PBS > .
The artificial intelligence revolution is just getting started. But it is already transforming conflict. Militaries all the way from the superpowers to tiny states are seizing on autonomous weapons as essential to surviving the wars of the future. But this mounting arms-race dynamic could lead the world to dangerous places, with algorithms interacting so fast that they are beyond human control. Uncontrolled escalation, even wars that erupt without any human input at all.
A
loitering munition (also known as a
suicide drone or
kamikaze drone) is a weapon system category in which the
munition loiters around the target area for some time,
searches for targets, and
attacks once a target is located. Loitering munitions enable
faster reaction times against concealed or hidden targets that
emerge for short periods without placing high-value
platforms close to the target area, and also allow
more selective targeting as the actual attack mission can be aborted.
Loitering munitions fit in the
niche between cruise missiles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) sharing characteristics with both. They differ from cruise missiles in that they are designed to loiter for a relatively long time around the target area, and from UCAVs in that a
loitering munition is intended to be expended in an attack and has a built-in warhead.
Loitering weapons first emerged in the
1980s for use in the
Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role against surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and were deployed for the SEAD role in a number of military forces in the
1990s. Starting in the
2000s, loitering weapons have been developed for additional roles ranging from
relatively long-range strikes and fire support down to
tactical, very short range battlefield systems that fit in a backpack.
Loitering munitions have proliferated into use by at least
14 countries, with several different types in use as of 2017. The rising proliferation and the ability to use some systems as
lethal autonomous weapons coupled with
ethical concerns over such use have led to research and discussion by
International humanitarian law scholars and activists.
Extended version includes a blow-by-blow scenario of a cyber attack against nuclear weapons command and control systems:
https://youtu.be/TmlBkW6ANsQ .
The world is entering a new era of warfare, with cyber and autonomous weapons taking center stage. These technologies are making militaries faster, smarter, more efficient. But if unchecked, they threaten to destabilize the world.
DW takes a deep dive into the future of conflict, uncovering an even more volatile world. Where a cyber intrusion against a nuclear early warning system can unleash a terrifying spiral of escalation; where “flash wars” can erupt from autonomous weapons interacting so fast that no human could keep up.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tells DW that we have already entered the technological arms race that is propelling us towards this future. “We’re right in the middle of it. That’s the reality we have to deal with.”
And yet the world is failing to meet the challenge. Talks on controlling autonomous weapons have repeatedly been stalled by major powers seeking to carve out their own advantage. And cyber conflict has become not just a fear of the future but a permanent state of affairs.
DW finds out what must happen to steer the world in a safer direction, with leading voices from the fields of politics, diplomacy, intelligence, academia, and activism speaking out.
00:00 - Introduction
02:37 - The Cyber Nuclear Nightmare
17:05 - Flash Wars And Autonomous Weapons
30:12 - Trading Markets And Flash Crashes
31:45 - Time To Act
