As
our
weapons
are
designed to have ever more autonomy,
deeper
questions
arise.
Can
the
new
armaments
reliably
separate
friend
from
foe?
What
laws
and
ethical
codes
apply?
What
are
we
saying
when
we
send
out
unmanned
machines
to
fight
for
us?
What
is
the
“message” that those on the other side receive? Ultimately,
how
will
humans
remain
masters
of
weapons
that
are
immeasurably
faster
and
more
“intelligent” than they are? - Excerpt from
Wired for War
Peter
W.
Singer
is
the
director
of
the
21st
Century
Defense
Initiative
and
a
senior
fellow
in
Foreign
Policy
at
Brookings.
Singer’s
research
focuses
on
three
core
issues:
the
future
of
war,
current
U.S.
defense
needs
and
future
priorities,
and
the
future
of
the U.S. defense
system.
Singer
lectures
frequently
to U.S. military audiences and is the
author
of
several
books
and
articles,
including
Wired
for
War:
The
Robotics
Revolution
and
Conflict
in
the
21st
Century.
Singer served in President
Barack
Obama’s
defense
task
force
during
the
2008
presidential
campaign.
He is among the most prominent
figures
in
the
evolution
of
21st
Century
Warfare
and
has
received
wide
recognition
for
his
efforts.
His
expertise
on
weaponry
and
defense
makes
him
a
highly-qualified
commentator
for
ongoing
military
issues
such
as
the
regulation
of
new
warfare.
He
is a
frequent
contributor
to
the
L.A.
Times,
New
York
Times,
Boston
Globe
and
the
Washington
Post.
Singer
has
also
provided
commentary
for
various
media
outlets
in
the
United
States
and
abroad.
In
2009,
he
was
named
to
Foreign
Policy
Magazine’s
Top
100
Global
Thinkers
List
for
his
knowledge
and
insight
in
world
affairs.
Wired
for
War,
his
latest
publication,
deals
with
the
evolution
of
robotics
in
combat
and
the
emergence
of
robotic
and
drone
war
fighters.
Singer
discusses
trends
in
modern
warfare
and
explores
the
possible
social
consequences
that
we
may
encounter
as
this
technology
is
applied
onto
the
battlefield.
Singer
theorizes
that
the
advent
of
robotic
war
machinery
will
change
the
very
fundamentals
of
war
and
make
society
re-evaluate
strategy,
ethics
and
politics.
