Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined more than 100 technology leaders in signing a new letter that urges the United Nations to protect the world from the "dangers" of deadly autonomous weapons.
The letter, released at the opening of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Melbourne, Australia, warns that these weapons "threaten to become the third revolution in warfare."
"Once developed," the letter continues, "they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend."
The letter was signed by more than 116 founders of robotics and artificial intelligence companies from 26 countries, according to the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Toby Walsh, a professor on artificial intelligence at UNSW, unveiled the letter. It is also signed by Mustafa Suleyman, who is co-founder of Google's DeepMind AI project.
Musk, a billionare whose other business ventures include SpaceX and Mars colonization, has repeatedly warned about the dangers of AI. In July, he told America's governors that people "should be really concerned" about artificial intelligence, which "is a fundamental risk for human civilization." Earlier this month he tweeted that AI is more dangerous than North Korea.
In December 2016, 123 nations that are part of the U.N. Convention on Conventional Weapons agreed to set up formal talks on the dangers of autonomous weapons. At the time, 19 countries called for a complete ban, and Human Rights Watch cheered the move towards formal talks as "a major step toward negotiations for a ban" on "killer robots."
The new letter warns that autonomous weapons could be used by despots and terrorists alike against "innocent populations," and even weapons held by more responsible powers could be hacked.
"We do not have long to act. Once this Pandora's box is opened, it will be hard to close," the letter says. It beseaches the U.N. "to find a way to protect us all from these dangers."
IJCAI previously sent a letter in 2015 about dangers of autonomous weapons, signed by thousands of researchers in AI and robotics from around the world, which included the endorsements of Musk, British physicist Stephen Hawking and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
Go here to read the rest:
- The Case for Colonizing Mars, by Robert Zubrin - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Volunteers For Mars Colonization Wanted: Apply Today [VIDEO] - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- Mars Colonization Mission Will Happen Live on Reality TV ... - April 26th, 2014 [April 26th, 2014]
- NASA Wants to Send Plant Life to Mars in 2020 - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Private Mars One Colony Project: 705 Astronaut Candidates Pass Latest Cut - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- Mars colonization a suicide mission, says Canadian astronaut - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Mars Colonization By: Alexis & Anna - Video - May 25th, 2014 [May 25th, 2014]
- One-Way Mars Colony Project Launches Suborbital Spaceflight Raffle - September 5th, 2014 [September 5th, 2014]
- Frankly, the Military Industrial Complex should become a Mars Colonization Project - Video - October 8th, 2014 [October 8th, 2014]
- MIT Students Bash Mars Colonization Plan - October 14th, 2014 [October 14th, 2014]
- Humans may only survive for 68 days on Red Planet - October 16th, 2014 [October 16th, 2014]
- Private Mars Colony Project May Not Be Feasible, Study Suggests - October 17th, 2014 [October 17th, 2014]
- How to get to Mars with tons of loads! - Video - November 7th, 2014 [November 7th, 2014]
- The only realistic video about Human Mars Exploration! - Video - November 10th, 2014 [November 10th, 2014]
- It's All Going Wrong! - Sol 0 #4 - Video - December 19th, 2014 [December 19th, 2014]
- Pesky Rock Removal! - Sol 0 #3 - Video - December 19th, 2014 [December 19th, 2014]
- Lets Play Sol 0 Blind 2 - Video - December 22nd, 2014 [December 22nd, 2014]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #001 - Auf geht's zum Mars - Video - December 22nd, 2014 [December 22nd, 2014]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 1 - The Beginning! - Video - December 23rd, 2014 [December 23rd, 2014]
- Lets Play Sol 0 Blind 3 - Video - December 24th, 2014 [December 24th, 2014]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #002 - Wir bauen weiter - Video - December 26th, 2014 [December 26th, 2014]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 2 - Big Bad Rocket! - Video - December 26th, 2014 [December 26th, 2014]
- Lets Play Sol 0 Blind 4 - Video - December 28th, 2014 [December 28th, 2014]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 3 - Colonist Failure! - Video - December 28th, 2014 [December 28th, 2014]
- Betrayed.. By a Rock! - Sol 0 #8 - Video - December 30th, 2014 [December 30th, 2014]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 5 - Asteroids! - Video - December 31st, 2014 [December 31st, 2014]
- Now We're Getting Somewhere! - Sol 0 #7 - Video - December 31st, 2014 [December 31st, 2014]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 4 - Solar Panels! - Video - December 31st, 2014 [December 31st, 2014]
- Lets Play Sol 0 Blind 6 - Video - January 2nd, 2015 [January 2nd, 2015]
- Fin! - Sol 0 #11 - Video - January 2nd, 2015 [January 2nd, 2015]
- Endgame's a Comin'! - Sol 0 #9 - Video - January 2nd, 2015 [January 2nd, 2015]
- Lets Play Sol 0 Blind 5 - Video - January 5th, 2015 [January 5th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 7 - Repairs! - Video - January 5th, 2015 [January 5th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 6 - Colonists! - Video - January 5th, 2015 [January 5th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 8 - Food Crisis! - Video - January 9th, 2015 [January 9th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 9 - Nuclear Explosion! - Video - January 11th, 2015 [January 11th, 2015]
- Elon Musk talks Mars colonization, Kerbal Space Program - January 14th, 2015 [January 14th, 2015]
- Elon Musk plans Seattle office for Mars colonization - January 14th, 2015 [January 14th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #004 [Deutsch] - Auf der Suche nach Wasser - Video - January 14th, 2015 [January 14th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Part 10 - Finale! - Video - January 14th, 2015 [January 14th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2- Part 1 - Brand New Start! - Video - January 17th, 2015 [January 17th, 2015]
- Lets Play Sol 0 Blind 7 - Video - January 20th, 2015 [January 20th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #003 [Deutsch] - Mehr Leben auf dem Mars - Video - January 20th, 2015 [January 20th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 3 - Brand New Start! - Video - January 25th, 2015 [January 25th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 4 - Brand New Start! - Video - January 26th, 2015 [January 26th, 2015]
- Or.. Not Endgame! - Sol 0 #10 - Video - January 26th, 2015 [January 26th, 2015]
- Elon Musk and the SpaceX Odyssey: the Path from Falcon 9 to Mars Colonization Transporter - January 29th, 2015 [January 29th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 5 - Brand New Start! - Video - January 29th, 2015 [January 29th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #006 [Deutsch] - Aufrsten? - Video - January 31st, 2015 [January 31st, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 7 - Brand New Start! - Video - February 1st, 2015 [February 1st, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 6 - Brand New Start! - Video - February 1st, 2015 [February 1st, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 8 - Brand New Start! - Video - February 4th, 2015 [February 4th, 2015]
- Deconstructing Consciousness,SpaceX Ritual=Mars Colonization, Microsofts HoloLens=Simulated Reality - Video - February 4th, 2015 [February 4th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 10 - Brand New Start! - Video - February 6th, 2015 [February 6th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 9 - Brand New Start! - Video - February 6th, 2015 [February 6th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 12 - Brand New Start! - Rockets! - Video - February 9th, 2015 [February 9th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 11 - Brand New Start! - Oxygen Problems! - Video - February 10th, 2015 [February 10th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 2 - Brand New Start! - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 14 - Brand New Start! - Independence! - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 13 - Brand New Start! - Colonists! - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #007 [Deutsch] - Wo landet das Wasser? - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Would you want to live on Mars? - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #008 [Deutsch] - Zuwachs - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- 100 people still in the running for a one-way trip to Mars - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- Private Mars One Colony Project Cuts Applicant Pool to 100 ... - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 15 - Brand New Start! - We Explore our Independence! - Video - February 18th, 2015 [February 18th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 - Part 16 - Brand New Start! - Population Growth! - Video - February 19th, 2015 [February 19th, 2015]
- Sol 0 - Mars Colonization - Season 2 Finale - Part 17 - Last Episode Forever - Video - February 21st, 2015 [February 21st, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #009 [Deutsch] - Die Katastrophe - Video - February 22nd, 2015 [February 22nd, 2015]
- Moss Beach man among 100 candidates selected for Mars colonization training - March 4th, 2015 [March 4th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #011 [Deutsch] - weiter geht's - Video - March 5th, 2015 [March 5th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #010 [Deutsch] - Wasser,Wasser, Wasser - Video - March 5th, 2015 [March 5th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #012 [Deutsch] - Energie - Video - March 6th, 2015 [March 6th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #013 [Deutsch] - Das schwarze Loch - Video - March 8th, 2015 [March 8th, 2015]
- Mars Colonization(Sol 0) #1 - Video - March 8th, 2015 [March 8th, 2015]
- Private Mars One colony project cuts applicant pool to 100 volunteers - March 9th, 2015 [March 9th, 2015]
- Let's Play Sol 0-Mars Colonization #014 [Deutsch] - Mehr Bewohner - Video - March 14th, 2015 [March 14th, 2015]
- Mars Command to Mother Earth - Video - March 18th, 2015 [March 18th, 2015]
- Cities Skylines mods - Mars colonization - Video - March 20th, 2015 [March 20th, 2015]
- Sol 0. 03 - Video - March 22nd, 2015 [March 22nd, 2015]