Really enjoyed this. I work at a startup developing drone systems for defense, and I’ve seen firsthand how fast the tech’s evolving. Ruth’s point about embedding ethics in STEM isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. When you're building autonomous systems with real-world consequences, you can’t separate technical skill from judgment.
That said, I’m curious where the line gets drawn. If the tech reaches a point where autonomous drones outperform humans in target ID and response time, do we still insist on keeping a human in the loop out of principle, even if it costs lives or mission success?
Palantir has seen a ton of backlash for similar debates over their AI implementation in Gaza. I expect the controversy only gets worse from here.
Agreed, really good points. Probable that we keep a human in the loop out of principle for the short and medium term. Over the long term, as those in power get accustomed to the new capabilities and efficacy of autonomous systems, it'll become an ethical obligation to take the human OUT of the loop instead. Not clear when that will be, though.
Really enjoyed this. I work at a startup developing drone systems for defense, and I’ve seen firsthand how fast the tech’s evolving. Ruth’s point about embedding ethics in STEM isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. When you're building autonomous systems with real-world consequences, you can’t separate technical skill from judgment.
That said, I’m curious where the line gets drawn. If the tech reaches a point where autonomous drones outperform humans in target ID and response time, do we still insist on keeping a human in the loop out of principle, even if it costs lives or mission success?
Palantir has seen a ton of backlash for similar debates over their AI implementation in Gaza. I expect the controversy only gets worse from here.
Agreed, really good points. Probable that we keep a human in the loop out of principle for the short and medium term. Over the long term, as those in power get accustomed to the new capabilities and efficacy of autonomous systems, it'll become an ethical obligation to take the human OUT of the loop instead. Not clear when that will be, though.