UAS Autonomy Scare
UAS Autonomy Scare
Based on Andrea Tiburca's article: "AI and the future of drones"
Introduction
Many people are preoccupied with the rise of the artificial intelligence (AI) as they think the technology is trying to replace human-being essential functions or the autonomous robotics may harm the industrialized civilization.A metaphoric perspective can compare the story to Victor Frankenstein's designed-monster that ended up destroying his master's lab. UAS performance has been enhanced by the infusion of AI and high-performing sensors that make the UAV an autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUV) in contrast with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV). While the application of UAS is found in every single field one could name in the private and the commercial sector, the use of AI in UAS has triggered arguments against and in favor of this technology.
Litterature Review
Tiburca's article (2017), "AI and the future of drones, recognizes the applications of drones in delivering goods, studying the environment, providing surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance, operation supports to the military, the police, the farmer, and the weather agency. While the article recognizes the contribution of AI in making the UAV autonomous (" the vehicle operates having the capacity to make decisions and “learn” to function independently of humans"), the document highlights the threat of AI/UAS when such technology falls in the hands of bad guys. Tiburca (2017) asks a scary question like this one: "Could we be facing a world in which an army of Terminator-akin cyborgs sends the world into a nuclear holocaust?" According to Tiburca, the threat AI/Autonomous robotics is no longer a science-fiction the community should apply the three laws of robotics that aims a harmonious co-existence between the AI/robotics and humans. As long as the benefits outweigh exponentially the potential harm to the society, AI/UAVs are here to stay, and the market will only grow bigger.
Autonomous UAS for Humanity
Autonomous UAS is not out of the supervision of a human being who designed the technology. The concept of autonomy underlines the UAV mobility without human intervention, but the vehicle operates according to a pre-loaded program. As long as the purpose or the mission of the UAS is for the betterment of the human society, the public does not have to fear. The creature can only obey the creator's laws, and any attempt to supersede the designer or overwrite those laws can become harmful to the society. The AI is a human invention and will remain a program that can still be supervised. How we use the technology matters more than the technology itself. Andrea's question,
"When a machine is able to function independently of humans, if it can learn and make choices based on its advancing knowledge, what prevents it from overtaking a mortal society?" instills more fear than hope the author believe AI should be programmed respecting Asimov's "three laws of robotics " that state:
Conclusion
The AI-powered UAV helps the society to solve challenging and complex problems deemed dangerous, dirty and dull. The autonomous vehicle is being used in data collection to enhance the analysis, a rescue mission by the police, infrastructures and powerlines surveillance, environment and weather monitoring, agriculture operations, medical emergency services and more. The benefits outweigh the potential harm that could occur only when human choose to use the technology for wrong reasons.
Based on Andrea Tiburca's article: "AI and the future of drones"
Introduction
Many people are preoccupied with the rise of the artificial intelligence (AI) as they think the technology is trying to replace human-being essential functions or the autonomous robotics may harm the industrialized civilization.A metaphoric perspective can compare the story to Victor Frankenstein's designed-monster that ended up destroying his master's lab. UAS performance has been enhanced by the infusion of AI and high-performing sensors that make the UAV an autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUV) in contrast with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV). While the application of UAS is found in every single field one could name in the private and the commercial sector, the use of AI in UAS has triggered arguments against and in favor of this technology.
Litterature Review
Tiburca's article (2017), "AI and the future of drones, recognizes the applications of drones in delivering goods, studying the environment, providing surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance, operation supports to the military, the police, the farmer, and the weather agency. While the article recognizes the contribution of AI in making the UAV autonomous (" the vehicle operates having the capacity to make decisions and “learn” to function independently of humans"), the document highlights the threat of AI/UAS when such technology falls in the hands of bad guys. Tiburca (2017) asks a scary question like this one: "Could we be facing a world in which an army of Terminator-akin cyborgs sends the world into a nuclear holocaust?" According to Tiburca, the threat AI/Autonomous robotics is no longer a science-fiction the community should apply the three laws of robotics that aims a harmonious co-existence between the AI/robotics and humans. As long as the benefits outweigh exponentially the potential harm to the society, AI/UAVs are here to stay, and the market will only grow bigger.
Autonomous UAS for Humanity
Autonomous UAS is not out of the supervision of a human being who designed the technology. The concept of autonomy underlines the UAV mobility without human intervention, but the vehicle operates according to a pre-loaded program. As long as the purpose or the mission of the UAS is for the betterment of the human society, the public does not have to fear. The creature can only obey the creator's laws, and any attempt to supersede the designer or overwrite those laws can become harmful to the society. The AI is a human invention and will remain a program that can still be supervised. How we use the technology matters more than the technology itself. Andrea's question,
"When a machine is able to function independently of humans, if it can learn and make choices based on its advancing knowledge, what prevents it from overtaking a mortal society?" instills more fear than hope the author believe AI should be programmed respecting Asimov's "three laws of robotics " that state:
- A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law (as cited in Anderson, 2008).
Conclusion
The AI-powered UAV helps the society to solve challenging and complex problems deemed dangerous, dirty and dull. The autonomous vehicle is being used in data collection to enhance the analysis, a rescue mission by the police, infrastructures and powerlines surveillance, environment and weather monitoring, agriculture operations, medical emergency services and more. The benefits outweigh the potential harm that could occur only when human choose to use the technology for wrong reasons.
References
- Anderson, S. L. (2008). Asimov's "three laws of robotics" and machine metaethics. AI & Society, 22(4), 477. 10.1007/s00146-007-0094-5
Tiburca, A. (2017, December 01). AI and the future of drones. Retrieved March 14, 2018, from https://thenextweb.com/contributors/2017/12/01/ai-future-drones/
Comments