There have been many concerns raised over the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI), the power they possess, and the bold impacts they may have on mankind. Experts recently petitioned the United Nations to ban “killer robots”, and AI technology is developing at a rapid rate with new finds being announced each day.
Once developed, they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend.
Now, there is further proof to suggest that the development of artificial intelligence is getting out of hand after scientists created self-healing robots.
According to Yahoo Finance, researchers from the Free University of Brussels have designed a self-healing polymer which will give robots the ability to heal themselves if they are damaged, making them almost indestructible.
To demonstrate their findings, the research team built a robotic hand out of a rubber-like self-healing polymer. The hand was able to completely heal from stabs and slices to its structure. The science behind the technology is based on heat, where engineers found that if they apply heat to the damaged area, the polymer will heal itself and repair the injury.
The first stage of the science shows that “wounded” robots or robotic technology can be repaired by an engineer placing heat on a damaged area. The next stage would be to program the robot to place heat upon a damaged area by itself to create a self-healing fix.
This technology could be rolled out in the very near future to be used in the engineering and tech industry for robots used in mass manufacturing and production, or even to be used in commercial products like cell phones and tablets.
Experts claim the find is outstanding, one that could lead to robots repairing themselves without human intervention, either within an industry setting or on the battlefield.
If such a technology can be developed to be used on AIs on the battlefield, then it would give that nation an edge over its opponent and could lead to a significant number of casualties.
We recently wrote how 116 leading robot experts came together to petition the United Nations to ban so-called “killer robots”. This latest self-healing technology could be used as part of combat operations to prolong the life of robots in battle.
“Once developed, they will permit armed conflict to be fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend,” the letter states.
There’s no doubt that this bold idea could prove beneficial in many areas, but if the technology falls into the wrong hands or is used in combat situations it could lead to many issues — or, some would argue, even spell the end of mankind.