It's always painful to see gallant soldiers lose their lives on the battlefield. What if we have a world that is free from war, a world free from fighting, free from all manner of natural and man-made disaster? There could be a lot of what-ifs, but all of that is just wishes, but facing the reality, many countries in our world have kissed war several times, and it's still happening.
Nowadays, a lot of parents in my country forbid their children from joining the soldiers, the armies, and other security agencies due to the rate at which lives are lost. No one wants his or her offerings to be the living sacrifice to the masses at large. I was even discussing with a friend the other day that time may come when soldiers might not be available anymore in our country if their lives remain vulnerable over war without a strong structure to ensure their lives are secured, just maybe.
Having said that, what if robots and artificial intelligence are made to fight wars in our countries, thereby eradicating the need for human soldiers on the battlefield? Perhaps it could reduce the loss of lives of gallant soldiers. If you look at it on the surface, robots and artificial intelligence look like a solution, especially knowing that the lives of these soldiers always in the battlefield will be saved, but there are other concerns about this.
Obviously, using AI for warfare looks good because it would save soldiers from dying, but it automatically means world leaders would be going to an extreme level to create sophisticated and indestructible robots. Which means a lot of funds would be diverted, leaving the citizens with less infrastructure and government support.
The cost of maintaining such a tool would be nothing to write home about, and by then, the little attention our government still pays to certain sectors might become a burden again. I can trust our government to suck funds through that, leaving other basic and important needs behind.
Another concern is that underdeveloped countries won't stand a chance and will be oppressed at the mention of war because they can't come up with their robots for war.Thinking about this further, war always comes with taking human lives, and that can be very painful, so if robots and AI take over the fight, will this pose a much bigger threat in the long run?
The answer is yes. These machines are built without emotional attachment, and yes, losing a robot is better than losing a human life, but then, these machines may begin to make a faster decision, striking in the wrong places and leaving behind the target audience. The problem of control is there, which in the long run could lead to an endless cycle of war, posing danger to human lives. Peradventure, if an AI or robot makes a terrible mistake, who will you hold responsible?...And some other concerns.
Overall, I believe that completely replacing humans with AI or robots in war won't make the world safer. If you ask me, I will say that I don't even know which is best, whether human soldiers or AI and robots. All I want is to live in a world without war.
This post is in response to the #Hive Learners community prompt on the topic titled, ROBOTS AND AI.
Image was generated using chatgpt
