Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

AI is the ‘one ring to rule them all’, but don’t worry about ‘killer robots’, UK general says

AI is the ‘one ring to rule them all’, but don’t worry about ‘killer robots’, UK general says

Mastering artificial intelligence would give the UK a decisive military edge, a top British general has argued, while stressing that the technology should be used to support, rather than threaten, human life.

Unlocking the potential of AI will be critical to the development of emerging military technology, and it would be “mad” for the UK not to try to become a leader in the field, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of Britain’s Strategic Command, told the Telegraph in an interview.

“Of all the new technologies, the one ring to rule them all is AI,” he told the paper.

Advanced machine learning would allow computers to quickly parse and react to information using minimal human intervention, technology that is particularly attractive to the military because it creates the possibility of “better decision making,” the general explained. He added that advanced AI technology also opens the door to “the opportunity to begin to develop autonomy.”

Harnessing AI would radically increase the amount of data available to British troops. As a hypothetical example, Sanders said that a computer could be used to “pour through gigabytes of data to spot a disturbance on the road where there wasn’t one before,” stressing that AI is part of a human-machine “team,” with the humans firmly in charge, and the ability to exploit such computing power “moves humans up the value chain.”

The general said that human-reliant systems, known as ‘narrow AI’, should be differentiated from ‘general AI’, which makes its own decisions, raising ethical questions.

"There’s a lot of concern out there about killer robots and ethics. Actually the real use of AI is to support humans, to be under command of humans."


Ultimately, machines capable of responding to information must “support humans” and “humans [must] have the whip hand,” the senior military officer told the Telegraph.

While the British general seems squeamish about the idea of autonomous war bots, some countries have already signaled that AI would be used for defence purposes. Earlier this month, Russia announced that its military would soon be equipped with autonomous robots capable of acting independently on the battlefield. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the machines would be capable of fighting “on their own.”

Other countries seem to think that killer robots are inevitable, but have promised that the machines will be accountable to human operators. Last year, the US military pledged that any future AI projects would be “responsible” and “governable,” as part of a set of guidelines designed to keep killer robots under firm human control.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
×