Activists Call for International Ban on Fully Autonomous Weapons

歌曲 Activists Call for International Ban on Fully Autonomous Weapons
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[00:00.100] From VOA Learning English,
[00:02.210] this is the Technology Report.
[00:05.770] An international coalition is calling for a ban
[00:11.070] on fully autonomous weapons known as "killer robots."
[00:16.750] The 45-member coalition proposed the ban
[00:20.950] to governments last month
[00:23.060] at a meeting of the United Nations Convention
[00:26.570] on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland.
[00:30.370] The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
[00:33.740] wants the U.N. organization to add fully autonomous weapons
[00:39.690] to its work program in 2014.
[00:43.990] Scientists have yet to develop fully autonomous killer robots.
[00:49.200] However, technology is moving toward increasing autonomy.
[00:55.050] Such weapons would identify
[00:57.900] and attack targets without human assistance.
[01:01.810] Noel Sharkey is a founding member
[01:05.210] of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.
[01:08.610] He also chairs the International Committee for Robot Arms Control.
[01:14.620] Mr Sharkey says autonomous weapons should be banned.
[01:20.370] "The big problem for me is that there are no robot systems
[01:23.820] that can discriminate between civilian targets and military targets
[01:29.400] unless they are very, very clearly marked in some way…
[01:32.900] so, the idea of having robots going out into the field
[01:35.860] and selecting their own targets is to me,
[01:38.060] is just horrifying. It cannot work, " said Sharkey.
[01:40.350] Activists say robotic systems with different degrees of autonomy
[01:45.410] are already in use by Britain, Israel,
[01:49.220] the United States and South Korea.
[01:52.800] They believe China and Russia are also moving toward these systems.
[01:58.850] Steve Goose is a member of the campaign,
[02:02.200] he also directs the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch.
[02:07.200] He warns the killer robots will become a reality
[02:12.060] unless governments act now to ban them.
[02:15.660] He says the world should oppose the weapons system
[02:20.330] that would be able to identify and attack targets mechanically.
[02:25.830] He believes such a system crosses a basic moral and ethical line.
[02:32.080] "Robotic weapons systems should not make life
[02:35.340] and death decisions on the battlefield.
[02:37.370] That is simply inherently wrong.
[02:39.010] So, they need to be banned on ethical grounds.
[02:42.820] We think they also need to be banned on legal grounds.
[02:45.720] If and when a killer robot commits a war crime,
[02:51.120] violates international humanitarian law…
[02:53.940] who would be held accountable,
[02:55.290] who would be responsible for that violation?" said Goose.
[02:57.440] He adds that in recent months, fully autonomous weapons
[03:01.390] have gone from a little known issue to one
[03:05.240] that is commanding worldwide attention.
[03:08.100] He says that since last May,
[03:12.370] 34 countries have openly expressed concern
[03:17.030] about the dangers the weapons present.
[03:20.080] Mr Goose notes that in 1995,
[03:24.330] the Convention on Conventional Weapons
[03:27.550] added a new policy to the treaty,
[03:30.300] which barred the use of blinding lasers.
[03:34.110] He believes killer robots could become the second such weapon
[03:39.510] to be banned before it is ever used in battle.
[03:43.760] And that is the Technology Report from VOA Learning English.

拼音

[00:00.100] From VOA Learning English,
[00:02.210] this is the Technology Report.
[00:05.770] An international coalition is calling for a ban
[00:11.070] on fully autonomous weapons known as " killer robots."
[00:16.750] The 45member coalition proposed the ban
[00:20.950] to governments last month
[00:23.060] at a meeting of the United Nations Convention
[00:26.570] on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland.
[00:30.370] The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
[00:33.740] wants the U. N. organization to add fully autonomous weapons
[00:39.690] to its work program in 2014.
[00:43.990] Scientists have yet to develop fully autonomous killer robots.
[00:49.200] However, technology is moving toward increasing autonomy.
[00:55.050] Such weapons would identify
[00:57.900] and attack targets without human assistance.
[01:01.810] Noel Sharkey is a founding member
[01:05.210] of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.
[01:08.610] He also chairs the International Committee for Robot Arms Control.
[01:14.620] Mr Sharkey says autonomous weapons should be banned.
[01:20.370] " The big problem for me is that there are no robot systems
[01:23.820] that can discriminate between civilian targets and military targets
[01:29.400] unless they are very, very clearly marked in some way
[01:32.900] so, the idea of having robots going out into the field
[01:35.860] and selecting their own targets is to me,
[01:38.060] is just horrifying. It cannot work, " said Sharkey.
[01:40.350] Activists say robotic systems with different degrees of autonomy
[01:45.410] are already in use by Britain, Israel,
[01:49.220] the United States and South Korea.
[01:52.800] They believe China and Russia are also moving toward these systems.
[01:58.850] Steve Goose is a member of the campaign,
[02:02.200] he also directs the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch.
[02:07.200] He warns the killer robots will become a reality
[02:12.060] unless governments act now to ban them.
[02:15.660] He says the world should oppose the weapons system
[02:20.330] that would be able to identify and attack targets mechanically.
[02:25.830] He believes such a system crosses a basic moral and ethical line.
[02:32.080] " Robotic weapons systems should not make life
[02:35.340] and death decisions on the battlefield.
[02:37.370] That is simply inherently wrong.
[02:39.010] So, they need to be banned on ethical grounds.
[02:42.820] We think they also need to be banned on legal grounds.
[02:45.720] If and when a killer robot commits a war crime,
[02:51.120] violates international humanitarian law
[02:53.940] who would be held accountable,
[02:55.290] who would be responsible for that violation?" said Goose.
[02:57.440] He adds that in recent months, fully autonomous weapons
[03:01.390] have gone from a little known issue to one
[03:05.240] that is commanding worldwide attention.
[03:08.100] He says that since last May,
[03:12.370] 34 countries have openly expressed concern
[03:17.030] about the dangers the weapons present.
[03:20.080] Mr Goose notes that in 1995,
[03:24.330] the Convention on Conventional Weapons
[03:27.550] added a new policy to the treaty,
[03:30.300] which barred the use of blinding lasers.
[03:34.110] He believes killer robots could become the second such weapon
[03:39.510] to be banned before it is ever used in battle.
[03:43.760] And that is the Technology Report from VOA Learning English.