This book describes real-world killer robots using a blend of perspectives. Overviews of technologies, such as autonomy and artificial intelligence, demonstrate how science enables these robots to be effective killers. Incisive analyses of social controversies swirling around the design and use of killer robots reveal that science, alone, will not govern their future. Among those disputes is whether fully-autonomous, robotic weapons should be banned. Examinations of killers from the golem to Frankenstein's monster reveal that artificially-created beings like them are precursors of real 21st century killer robots. This book laces the death and destruction caused by all these killers with science and humor. The seamless combination of these elements produces a deeper and richer understanding of the robots around us.

Table of Contents


Preface

Introduction

Part I: Motivation

Revenge

Greed

Furor: Robots as Job Killers

Part II: Crime

Criminals

Enforcers

Superheroes & Supervillains

Furor: Making Robots Moral

Part III: War

Humanoids

Non-Humanoids

Humans

Furor: LAWS

Glossary

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Judith A. Markowitz is a consultant and analyst in speech and language computer technologies. She lives in Chicago.