AstroBoy Online Forums

Some people just don't want anybody to have fun! It seemeth to me that robots, though not the humanoid type, already are being used as such. Guided missiles are just one example. Though the general purpose humanoid type is what is being discussed here. Plenty of reasons against their use as weapons, but likewise there are some reasons for their use as such.

Regardless of pros & cons, this application seems inevitable.

https://www.techspot.com/news/96248-boston-dynamics-please-dont-use-our-robots-weapons.html

I think the problem is not with robots with the ability to kill (guided missiles can do that since a long time), but with robots with the ability to choose their target and decide to kill it based on artificial intelligence. This is more like Terminator leaving the TV set and coming to our real world.

Suppose they make one for rescue; and it goes through the rubble on a battlefield to retrieve a wounded man. getting the guy, and making its way back, the guy is alive, but, encountering an enemy soldier, who kills the rescued guy. Somebody is sure to suggest that this robot was ill-equipped for its task, seeing that it could not use deadly force against the enemy.

I'd say that robots using deadly force in a self defense situation (of humans, NOT itself - except if they are also protecting a human at the time) would be acceptable. IE: the robot could kill or disable human attackers if it was protecting human friendlies at the time.