Google employees reportedly quit over military drone AI project
I’d like to offer the point of view that if the drones become better and more surgical in their precision, it would reduce civilian casualties.<p>Like it or not the world is full of extremists who would like nothing more than to hurt innocent people. There is no “oh just send the cops and arrest them!” route to take.<p>Shit, just look at the time Osama bin Laden could have been bombed with a tomahawk missile during Clinton’s presidency. He didn’t do it because of the potential to kill a Saudi prince he was meeting at that time.<p>Would those angry Googlers be against surgically killing Osama? I think not.<p>Better drone software might help track a potential target and present with the optimal window in which a target could be shot and have reduced civilian casualties. It could also present with better intel to let a surgical ground strike which would put more American soldiers at risk but would allow for better intel and again less civilian deaths.<p>Lastly, it could offer new knowledge and experience in tracking humans with drones during humanitarian disasters. It could also help in tracking victims of kidnapping, are the Googlers opposed to rescuing the hundreds and thousands kidnapped by Boko Haram and company?<p>Who is going to go into the African heart of darkness to rescue those people? Is it the arm chair Googlers who pretend to know better?