In the present climate, the news that US military researchers are redoubling
their efforts to develop the first fully robotic fighter planes will dismay many doves
(see “Robot wars”).
Indeed, even those of us who think the armed assault on the
Taliban is justified are likely to react with scepticism and unease. We will
remember those smart laser-guided missiles that went astray during the Gulf War
and rightly ask whether it makes sense to continue shifting ever more military
executive power from humans to machines.
The US is already using uncrewed planes to spy on enemy forces. It also…
