Technology in the Military Advantages and Disadvantages

     This week I watched Military Robots and the Future of War, which is a Ted Talk that focuses on technology in the Military. The main idea of this talk is that what robots and drones hold for our future in war. One idea I found interesting is the fact that people who fly drones can do it from the comfort of staying in America. “Predator drone pilot described of his experience fighting in the Iraq War while never leaving Nevada. “You’re going to war for 12 hours, shooting weapons at targets, directing kills on enemy combatants, and then you get in the car and you drive home and within 20 minutes, you’re sitting at the dinner table talking to your kids about their homework”.” (Singer).

The Advantages of Using Technology in War

     There are many advantages of using technology in war such as, saving American soldier's lives, being able to fly over to see the possible danger, and many others. One advantage and disadvantage of robots is the fact that they are emotionless. The advantage of them being emotionless is that “Robots are emotionless, so they don’t get upset if their buddy is killed. They don’t commit crimes of rage and revenge” (Singer). Robots in war save American lives, the robots can jump on an IED without a second thought because that is their job, they don’t stop to think about their family members back at home, they just do it. Drones have the advantage of being flown over possible danger and letting the soldiers know if it's safe to proceed. “One of the people that I met with was a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Ronald Reagan, and he put it this way: “I like these systems because they save American lives, but I worry about more marketization of was, re shock-and awe talk, to defray discussion of the costs. People are more likely to support the use of force if they view it as costless” (Singer).

The Disadvantages of Using Technology in War

     There are also downsides to using technology in war, a very vivid example is when the machines have “oops” moments. This is when the robot does something it is not supposed to do, an example of this happening is “last year in South Africa, where an anti-aircraft cannon had a “software glitch”, and did turn on and fired, and nine soldiers were killed” (Singer). This is not the only “oops” moment that has happened, some are not fatal they just scare the people involved because they shouldn't be happening. By using robots in war, it is helpful but when it comes to the emotions of a robot things change. “But robots are emotionless. They see an 80-year-old grandmother in a wheelchair the same they see T-80 tanks: they’re both just a series of zeroes and ones” (Singer). Another brief disadvantage of technology in war is that fact that now everything is recorded, so people will take video clips of war and turn it into a joke, this allows kids to view war as a video game.

Works Cited:

Singer, P.W., director. Military Robots and the Future of War. TED, TED, Feb. 2009, 

           www.ted.com/talks/p_w_singer_military_robots_and_the_future_of_war/transcript#t-1092372.