In this episode, I break down the current landscape of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and how this era of exponentially improving AI converges with violent motives. What will the future of war look like in a world that relies on autonomous systems to make life-or-death decisions? Who will we hold accountable when people get innocent people killed by these autonomous systems?

I begin by talking about one of the many Billion-dollar ties Big Tech companies have with the US military to develop AI-enabled weapons. They profit off of tech that specializes in high-precision killing. These same companies are leading this AI revolution with a priority on profits over safety. I then introduce a coalition called ‘Stop Killer Robots’ which advocates for human control to stay in the use of force. Sign their petition here.

There is a current real-world test case for LAWS and it’s happening in Palestine. The Israeli Defense Force’s use of AI systems to choose bombing targets and high-precision weapons. I introduce the Future of Life Institute and Toby Walsh - a leading AI expert - who launched an Open Letter which now has over 5,000 AI expert signatures. The open letter calls for immediate action to ban the development of Autonomous Weapons. Finally, I briefly talk about UCAVs and where autonomous drone weapons are currently heading.

This is not a part of the reboot episodes, I just thought this was a really important aspect of future AI risks to brief people on. Share this with people you love and stay hopeful! Change can and will happen. <3

The first AI Safety Summit has taken place in the UK. It was held at Bletchley Park, which was the location of code-breaking during WW2. The summit took place over November 1-2 and consisted of roundtables, in which governments, civil society, and big tech representatives come together and share their views on different AI discussions. This is a move in the right direction, and it makes me hopeful that collaboration on an international scale is possible.

On Monday, the 31st of October, US President Biden signed an Executive Order on Artificial intelligence. It's the first attempt at legislating the safe use of AI and will set the tone for upcoming EU AI acts. I read and summarized the order and explained the overall goal of each of the eight 'principles' listed. It's really important to stay updated and educated on the development of legislation around AI because of its potential for change within society.