Expert Predicts 1/3 Of Military Will Be Replaced By Robots

(TargetDailyNews.com) – Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told audiences at the Future of Defense conference on July 11th that he anticipated nearly a third of the armed forces being replaced by robots or other automated weapons systems that require very little human input.

Defense contractors have been working on advanced drones and drone systems capable of operating independently after being programmed with a set of parameters. Artificial intelligence-controlled weapons and vehicles capable of taking human life have largely been the stuff of dystopian science fiction, until now.

Milley highlighted how there are already drones and AI systems being deployed and the technology is still in its early infancy. He added that the current wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are demonstrating the utility of the technology.

Milley said that he estimated nearly a quarter to a third of the entire military could be replaced by machines within a decade or two. The Army is using robots that work alongside human operators on the ground while the Air Force is considering automated aircraft that escort human-operated jets and can act independently to engage in electronic interference, reconnaissance, or direct attacks. The Navy is also hybridizing its fleet with the addition of underwater, surface, and air-based escort drones.

Milley said that the largest changes to the battlefield are the emergence of quantum computers and AI as well as the use of drones and robots in conflicts.

Many folks are rightfully concerned about giving AI the ability to fire weapons on people. Currently, the U.S. military code requires a human to give the command and make the ultimate decision to engage in potentially lethal violence. Milley said keeping humans in the chain of command is absolutely necessary, but suggested that could change in the future.

Several films warn of dystopian futures that result after advanced weapons systems are given over to AI. Whether or not that remains the subject of science fiction or if authors of the 20th century accurately predicted the future remains to be seen.