Science & Tech

The US Navy Is Developing Mothership Drones for Coastal Defense

The service is looking to accelerate the way it buys, builds and drills drones and robotic ships.

Ideas

How to Plan for the Coming Era of Human-Machine Teaming

Militaries must understand the different forms it will take, and how it will change just about everything they do.

Science & Tech

Experts Say AI Could Raise the Risks of Nuclear War

A new RAND report says ideas like mutually assured destruction and minimal deterrence strategy offer a lot less assurance in the age of intelligent software.

Ideas

The Pursuit of AI Is More Than an Arms Race

Dealing wisely with the challenges of artificial intelligence requires reframing the current debates.

Science & Tech

Russian Military Chief Lays Out the Kremlin’s High-Tech War Plans

Robotics, artificial intelligence, and a willingness to strike the enemy’s non-military targets will figure in the country’s future strategies.

Ideas

Putin Says Russia’s New Weapons Can’t Be Beat. With AI and Robotics, They Can.

Instead of single interceptors rising to meet an enemy missile, think about swarms of sub-launched UAVs armed with explosives, sensors, and brains.

Science & Tech

US Army Now Holding Drills With Ground Robots That Shoot

Last year saw a historic first: an exercise in which an unmanned vehicle provided live covering fire for American troops.

Ideas

We’re Losing Our Chance to Regulate Killer Robots

After four years of nearly fruitless debate, nations are gathering once more to talk AI and autonomous weapons.

Science & Tech

Russia Says It Will Field a Robot Tank that Outperforms Humans

A colonel who runs a research directorate says the Nehreta did well in recent exercises at proving grounds outside Moscow.

Science & Tech

Russian Weapons Maker To Build AI-Directed Guns

Kalashnikov’s upcoming product shows how the US and Russia are on wildly different paths to autonomy.

Science & Tech

Tomorrow’s Robots Will Train in Simulators, Just Like Today’s Troops

Several firms are working on training environments like Star Trek’s Holodeck, but for machines.

Science & Tech

Beyond Big Dog: The US Army Searches for an Infantry Squadbot

Service officials have a concept of operations and a plan to deploy a cargo-carrying robot alongside dismounted soldiers in 2019. But can the acquisition system keep up?

Science & Tech

Two Iraqi Guys Built an Armed Robot to Fight ISIS

The Baghdad Post says the machine-gun-wielding unmanned ground vehicle will be used in the effort to retake Mosul.

Science & Tech

The Era of Lethal Police Robots has Arrived

Dallas Police used a remote-controlled robot to kill one of the snipers, opening questions about the way law enforcement agencies will use new technologies.

Ideas

The B-21 Bomber Should Be Unmanned on Day 1

So far, U.S. Air Force leaders have said only that it will eventually be able to fly without crew.

Science & Tech

As Pentagon Dawdles, Silicon Valley Sells Its Newest Tech Abroad

A trio of tech CEOs say red tape and onerous requirements are undermining Ash Carter’s outreach efforts.