ROBOTS: Should A Robot Be Allowed To Kill?

from Flash Forward · host Rose Eveleth

Today we travel to a future where militaries employ killer robots. Should a robot be allowed to take a human life? Is the speed of war increasing too quickly? What does a tech worker do when they find out their work is being used for war?Guests: Kelsey Atherton, a reporter who covers military technology. Ryan Calo, a professor of law at the University of Washington. Dr. Ryan Jenkins, an associate professor of philosophy at California Polytechnic State University. Liz O’Sullivan, the CEO of Parity. Dr. Lucy Suchman, a professor emerita of sociology at Lancaster University. Dr. Jesse Kirkpatrick, an assistant professor of philosophy at George Mason University. Dr. Carlotta Berry, chair of the electrical and computer engineering department at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Kate Conger, a technology reporter at the New York Times. Voice Actors: Rachael Deckard: Richelle Claiborne Chad: Brett Tubbs Lina: Ashley Kellem Brad: Brent Rose Halimah: Zahra Noorbakhsh Malik: Henry Alexander Kelly Summer: Shara Kirby Ashoka: Anjali Kunapaneni Eliza: Chelsey B Coombs Dorothy Levitt: Tamara Krinsky John Dee: Keith Houston Seargent William Walter: Jarrett Sleeper → → → Further reading & resources here! ← ← ← Flash Forward is hosted by, Rose Eveleth and produced by Julia Llinas Goodman. The intro music is by Asura and the outro music is by Hussalonia. The episode art is by Mattie Lubchansky.Get in touch: Twitter // Facebook // Reddit // [email protected] the show: Patreon // DonorboxSubscribe: iTunes // Soundcloud // Spotify Episode Sponsors: The Long Time Academy: A new podcast about time, and how we think about time. Bird Note Daily: A short, 2-minute daily dose of bird -- from wacky facts, to hard science, and even poetry. Nature: The leading international journal of science. Get 50% off your yearly subscription when you subscribe at go.nature.com/flashforward. BetterHelp: Making professional therapy accessible, affordable, and convenient. Visit betterhelp.com/flashforward and get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What this episode covers

Today we travel to a future where militaries employ killer robots. Should a robot be allowed to take a human life? Is the speed of war increasing too quickly? What does a tech worker do when they find out their work is being used for war? Guests: Kelsey Atherton, a reporter who covers military technology. Ryan Calo, a professor of law at the University of Washington. Dr. Ryan Jenkins, an associate professor of philosophy at California Polytechnic State University. Liz O’Sullivan, the CEO of Parity. Dr. Lucy Suchman, a professor emerita of sociology at Lancaster University. Dr. Jesse Kirkpatrick, an assistant professor of philosophy at George Mason University. Dr. Carlotta Berry, chair of the electrical and computer engineering department at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Kate Conger, a technology reporter at the New York Times. Voice Actors: Rachael Deckard: Richelle Claiborne Chad: Brett Tubbs Lina: Ashley Kellem Brad: Brent Rose Halimah: Zahra Noorbakhsh Malik: Henry Alexander Kelly Summer: Shara Kirby Ashoka: Anjali Kunapaneni Eliza: Chelsey B Coombs Dorothy Levitt: Tamara Krinsky John Dee: Keith Houston Seargent William Walter: Jarrett Sleeper → → → Further reading & resources here! ← ← ← Flash Forward is hosted by, Rose Eveleth and produced by Julia Llinas Goodman. The intro music is by Asura and the outro music is by Hussalonia. The episode art is by Mattie Lubchansky. Get in touch: Twitter // Facebook // Reddit // [email protected] Support the show: Patreon // Donorbox Subscribe: iTunes // Soundcloud // Spotify Episode Sponsors: The Long Time Academy: A new podcast about time, and how we think about time. Bird Note Daily: A short, 2-minute daily dose of bird -- from wacky facts, to hard science, and even poetry. Nature: The leading international journal of science. Get 50% off your yearly subscription when you subscribe at go.nature.com/flashforward. BetterHelp: Making professional therapy accessible, affordable, and convenient. Visit betterhelp.com/flashforward and get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices