Warfare through Robotic Eyes

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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