Books › Army of none
Army of none
448 pages
A chilling, authoritative look at the bleeding edge of military AI that asks who—or what—should hold the power of life and death.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in on a high-stakes Pentagon briefing where the future of human morality is on the table. The pace is steady and deliberate, guiding you through the complex evolution of military technology without ever losing sight of the profound ethical questions at its core. The mood is undeniably sobering, tinged with the chilling realization that science fiction is rapidly becoming battlefield reality. Yet, the prose remains remarkably lucid and grounded, avoiding alarmism in favor of sharp, authoritative analysis. It is an intellectually stimulating experience that slowly builds a sense of urgent responsibility. This is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the collision of artificial intelligence, global security, and the fundamental limits of human agency.
- Mood
- sobering
- chilling
- intellectually stimulating
- tense
- Tone
- analytical
- authoritative
- cautionary
- objective
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- ethics of automation · human agency in warfare · technological overreach · the burden of lethal decisions
- The writing
- Lucid and precise, translating complex military jargon and bleeding-edge computer science into highly readable, engaging narrative.
- The arc
- Begins with a fascination for technological innovation and steadily descends into a profound, sobering contemplation of humanity's moral responsibilities.
- Who it's for
- Tech-curious policy wonks, military history buffs, and anyone deeply concerned about the intersection of artificial intelligence and human morality.
Content notes
- discussions of warfare
- lethal violence
- military casualties
About the book
"What happens when a Predator drone has as much autonomy as a Google car? Although it sounds like science fiction, the technology to create weapons that could hunt and destroy targets on their own already exists. Paul Scharre, a leading expert in emerging weapons technologies, draws on incisive research and firsthand experience to explore how increasingly autonomous weapons are changing warfare. This far-ranging investigation examines the emergence of fully autonomous weapons, the movement to ban them, and the legal and ethical issues surrounding their use. Scharre spotlights the role of artificial intelligence in military technology, spanning decades of innovation from German noise-seeking Wren torpedoes in World War II--antecedents of today's armed drones--to autonomous cyber weapons. At the forefront of a game-changing debate, Army of None engages military history, global policy, and bleeding-edge science to explore what it would mean to give machines authority over the ultimate decision: life or death."--Provided by publisher.
Description from Open Library.
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