Search Search Tesla's Elon Musk leads tech experts in demanding end to 'killer robots arms race’ ‘Once this Pandora’s box is opened, it will be hard to close’ Click to follow The Independent Online Autonomous weapons will 'permit armed conflict to be fought at timescales faster than humans can comprehend', the letter warns Over a hundred experts in robotics and artificial intelligence are calling on the UN to ban the development and use of killer robots and add them to a list of ‘morally wrong’ weapons including blinding lasers and chemical weapons.
 Google’s Mustafa Suleyman and Tesla’s Elon Musk are among the most prominent names on a list of 116 tech experts who have signed an open letter asking the UN to ban autonomous weapons in a bid to prevent an arms race.
 In December 2016 the UN voted to begin formal talks over the future of such weapons, including tanks, drones and automated machine guns.
 So far, 19 out of 123 member states have called for an outright ban on lethal autonomous weapons.
 Read more rise' One of the letter’s key organisers, Toby Walsh, a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales in Australia unveiled the letter at the opening of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Melbourne.
 The letter marks the first time that artificial intelligence (AI) experts and robotics companies have taken a joint stance on the issue.
 The letter says: “Lethal autonomous weapons threaten to become the third revolution in warfare.
 “Once developed, they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend.
 “These can be weapons of terror, weapons that despots and terrorists use against innocent populations, and weapons hacked to behave in undesirable ways.
 “We do not have long to act.
 Once this Pandora’s box is opened, it will be hard to close,” It concludes with an urgent plea for the UN “to find a way to protect us all from these dangers.
” Significant signatories to the letter include: DeepMind Technologies (UK) University of New South Wales (Australia) AI (Canada) Pepper robots (Switzerland) Professor Walsh said: “Nearly every technology can be used for good and bad, and artificial intelligence is no different.
 It can help tackle many of the pressing problems facing society today: inequality and poverty, the challenges posed by climate change and the ongoing global financial crisis.
 Gadgets and tech news in pictures Gadgets and tech news in pictures Designed by Pierpaolo Lazzarini from Italian company Jet Capsule.
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 is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.
 Jet Capsule/Cover Images A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Images A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Images Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Electrification Guru Dr.
 Wolfgang Ziebart talks about the electric Jaguar I-PACE concept SUV before it was unveiled before the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.
S Reuters The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car is the start of a new era for Jaguar.
 This is a production preview of the Jaguar I-PACE, which will be revealed next year and on the road in 2018 AP Japan's On-Art Corp's CEO Kazuya Kanemaru poses with his company's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' and other robots during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' Reuters Japan's On-Art Corp's eight metre tall dinosaur-shaped mechanical suit robot 'TRX03' performs during its unveiling in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Singulato Motors co-founder and CEO Shen Haiyin poses in his company's concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Reuters The interior of Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Reuters Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 Reuters A picture shows Singulato Motors' concept car Tigercar P0 at a workshop in Beijing, China Reuters Connected company president Shigeki Tomoyama addresses a press briefing as he elaborates on Toyota's "connected strategy" in Tokyo.
 The Connected company is a part of seven Toyota in-house companies that was created in April 2016 Getty A Toyota Motors employee demonstrates a smartphone app with the company's pocket plug-in hybrid (PHV) service on the cockpit of the latest Prius hybrid vehicle during Toyota's "connected strategy" press briefing in Tokyo Getty An exhibitor charges the battery cells of AnyWalker, an ultra-mobile chasis robot which is able to move in any kind of environment during Singapore International Robo Expo Getty A robot with a touch-screen information apps stroll down the pavillon at the Singapore International Robo Expo Getty An exhibitor demonstrates the AnyWalker, an ultra-mobile chasis robot which is able to move in any kind of environment during Singapore International Robo Expo Getty Robotic fishes swim in a water glass tank displayed at the Korea pavillon during Singapore International Robo Expo Getty An employee shows a Samsung Electronics' Gear S3 Classic during Korea Electronics Show 2016 in Seoul, South Korea Reuters Visitors experience Samsung Electronics' Gear VR during the Korea Electronics Grand Fair at an exhibition hall in Seoul, South Korea Getty Amy Rimmer, Research Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, demonstrates the car manufacturer's Advanced Highway Assist in a Range Rover, which drives the vehicle, overtakes and can detect vehicles in the blind spot, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire PA wire Chris Burbridge, Autonomous Driving Software Engineer for Tata Motors European Technical Centre, demonstrates the car manufacturer's GLOSA V2X functionality, which is connected to the traffic lights and shares information with the driver, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire PA wire Ford EEBL Emergency Electronic Brake Lights is demonstrated during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire PA Full-scale model of 'Kibo' on display at the Space Dome exhibition hall of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center, in Tsukuba, north-east of Tokyo, Japan EPA Miniatures on display at the Space Dome exhibition hall of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center, in Tsukuba, north-east of Tokyo, Japan.
 In its facilities, JAXA develop satellites and analyse their observation data, train astronauts for utilization in the Japanese Experiment Module 'Kibo' of the International Space Station (ISS) and develop launch vehicles EPA The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to the music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight.
 At this biennial event, the participating companies exhibit their latest service robotic technologies and components Getty The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight Getty Government and industry are working together on a robot-like autopilot system that could eliminate the need for a second human pilot in the cockpit AP Aurora Flight Sciences' technicians work on an Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automantion System (ALIAS) device in the firm's Centaur aircraft at Manassas Airport in Manassas, Va.
 AP Stefan Schwart and Udo Klingenberg preparing a self-built flight simulator to land at Hong Kong airport, from Rostock, Germany EPA “However, the same technology can also be used in autonomous weapons to industrialise war.
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