Ukraine develops ‘autonomous killing machines’

In Ukraine, the development of autonomous weapons systems is progressing rapidly, according to an expert. Ultimately, this could lead to victory.

Autonomous weapons systems could have a decisive influence on the course of Russia’s invasion war against Ukraine, believes US defense expert Greg Melcher. He sees Ukraine as a leader in the development of these weapons systems.

“In less than a year, autonomous killing machines will have been developed,” says Melcher in an interview with the Daily Mirror.

Melcher develops defense strategies with different democratic countries, directs operations at the Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare in Washington DC

“This technology could be a game changer”

According to Melcher, hundreds of Ukrainian companies are involved in the development of autonomous weapons systemsat an unprecedented speed.

The expert says:

The reason: the existential threat weighing on their country forces them to make extraordinary efforts, which would hardly be possible without this motivation.

This dynamic gives Ukraine an advantage over Russia: they are “better, faster and more agile than the enormous and often heavy Russian system”. While Russia is also banking on autonomous weapons technology, the same pressure for innovation is lacking. “Russians don’t feel the existential threat like Ukrainians,” says Melcher.

And this anxiety of defeat could, according to him, end up changing the situation:

“It makes a huge difference in this kind of process” and could, according to him, end up being a game-changer.

But rapid progress in this area also raises difficult questions. “They’re going to develop things that we would rather not have invented,” Melcher says. Which makes him say: “Let your Terminator fantasies run wild.”

In the current war situation, ethical considerations are not a priority. Instead, the only thing that matters to Ukraine is survival. (flx)

Translated and adapted by Noëline Flippe

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