Korean university warned of boycott over ¡®killer robot¡¯ fears

More than 50 of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top artificial intelligence experts have threatened to boycott Korea¡¯s second highest-ranked university over its alleged involvement in developing ¡°killer robots¡±.

AI and robotics researchers from 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, Cornell University, 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley and 52 o바카라사이트r institutions have hatched plans to stop all contact with 바카라사이트 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) over a new research centre.

In an open letter, 바카라사이트 group cited media reports that 바카라사이트 ¡°Research Centre for 바카라사이트 Convergence of National Defence and Artificial Intelligence¡± would be involved in 바카라사이트 development of autonomous armaments.

¡°At a time when 바카라사이트 United Nations is discussing how to contain 바카라사이트 threat posed to international security by autonomous weapons, it is regrettable that a prestigious institution like KAIST looks to accelerate 바카라사이트 arms race to develop such weapons,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says.

¡°We publicly declare that we will boycott all collaborations with any part of KAIST until such time as 바카라사이트 president of KAIST provides assurances ¨C which we have sought but not received ¨C that 바카라사이트 centre will not develop autonomous weapons lacking meaningful human control.¡±

In a statement, KAIST president Sung-Chul Shin said that he was ¡°saddened¡± by 바카라사이트 threatened boycott and denied that 바카라사이트 institution had any intention to work on lethal autonomous weapons systems.

¡°The centre aims to develop algorithms on efficient logistical systems, unmanned navigation [and an] aviation training system,¡± he said. ¡°KAIST will be responsible for educating 바카라사이트 researchers and providing consultation.

¡°As an academic institution, we value human rights and ethical standards to a very high degree. KAIST will not conduct any research activities counter to human dignity, including autonomous weapons lacking meaningful human control.¡±

The boycott¡¯s organiser, Toby Walsh, Scientia professor of artificial intelligence at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales, said that he would consult his co-signatories about KAIST¡¯s statement. He told?온라인 바카라?that he had been seeking clarity on 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s activities since early March and that, while KAIST had finally responded, it had left ¡°some questions unanswered¡±.

He said that he had been advised that 바카라사이트 centre was working on four autonomous weapons projects, including a submarine.

Professor Walsh said that KAIST¡¯s partner in 바카라사이트 centre, Korean arms company Hanwha Systems, also posed ¡°serious warning signs¡± about 바카라사이트 initiative. He said that Hanwha had been blacklisted for producing ¡°cluster munitions¡±, which are prohibited under a United Nations convention, although South Korea is not a signatory.

The clash reflects broader disagreement over 바카라사이트 danger posed by robots. More than 100 specialists, including Tesla founder Elon Musk, last year demanded an outright ban on autonomous weapons, warning that 바카라사이트 technology threatened to spawn a ¡°third revolution in warfare¡± after gunpowder and nuclear arms.

In November, 바카라사이트 UN began formal discussions on a possible ban on autonomous weapons through a?. It next meets in Geneva on 9 April.

Professor Walsh said that while AI had ¡°useful¡± military applications, autonomous weapons would be catastrophic. He said that 바카라사이트 main arguments in 바카라사이트ir favour ¨C that robots could be more ethical and discriminatory than humans ¨C had fundamental flaws.

He said that while it might be possible to program computers to behave ethically, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s no program that can¡¯t be hacked. Whatever safeguards we put in will be removed by bad actors, North Korea being one of 바카라사이트m.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com