For years the world has anticipated the creation of fully autonomous weapons; however, just as almost every resident in the United States has seen SkyNet go rampant and turn against the military in the popular movie series, The Terminator, it is possible that such an event could occur with the application of autonomous weapons. The idea of artificial intelligence weapons being used by the military was something of fiction only a couple decades ago, but it seems that it is within the grasp of modern technology and could be officially implemented to the military in the coming years. Currently the United States military uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that are piloted and maintained by real people from a distant location. Evidence suggests that fully autonomous weapons systems violate certain codes of war and the laws of AI (Artificial Intelligence), along with the fact that they can not process the moral and ethical value of an option it must take in certain situations. Thus, the implementation of fully autonomous weapons systems …show more content…
The field of autonomous weapons has become so advanced that it has been “described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms” (“Autonomous”). Weapons that could operate without human surveillance or distant operation have been a thing of fiction for over a century, and they are now within a handful of years before becoming reality. However, people hope that one day “Autonomous weapons select and engage targets without human intervention,” but that is far from reality because autonomous drones are constantly under human supervision and pilots to take over when needed. Considering that only a couple decades ago this technology was thought to be impossible, it has made leaps and bounds in the weapons industry; still striking awe into the faces of those who are introduced to