Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V. Revolution in Military...

Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V.

„Revolution in Military Affairs“

Why computer professionals should be

concernedHans–Jörg Kreowski and Dietrich Meyer–Ebrecht

Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung

(FIfF)


Joint Vision for the US Forces

1996: Joint Vision 2010 2000: Joint Vision 2020


Synopsis

1. A quick walk trough the history of military IT application

2. Dual–use reversed into its contrary

3. Armed robots and robot arms

4. Security research: a proliferating grey area

5. Intrinsic perils of ICT–based warfare

6. Message to the concerned computer professionals


The early computers I

Z series by Konrad Zuse since 1934, partly with military funding employment at Henschel aircraft factory special device for missile control

Computers and weapon technology: A quick walk through history


The early computers II

„bombe“ by Alan Turing since 1939 at Government Code and Cypher School in Bletchley Park for decoding ENIGMA-encrypted signals


The early computers III

ENIAC by Eckert and Mauchly since 1943 (for ballistic tables)

STRETCH by IBM and LARC by Remington Rand (for H-bomb development)

WHIRLWIND by Forrester since 1944 leading to SAGE computers in the 1950s (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment air defence system)


Starting in the 1950s, the military complex relies more and more on

large, expensive and unrealible computer programs

Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defence system NORth American Defence (NORAD) system Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) system

….and others

Joseph Weizenbaumwarned of the dangerthat roots in the inpenetrability of such systems


The (military) software crisis I

establishment of software engineering by a series of NATO conferences starting in 1969

ADA (standard programming language for NATO) developed in the 1970s

VHSIC (Very High Speed Intergrated Circuits) in the 1980

STARS (Software Technology for Adaptable Reliable Software) since 1983

SCI (Strategic Computing Initiative) since 1983

SDI (Strategic Defence Initiative) „star wars“ since 1983


StrategicComputing

Initiative1983

500 Mill. US $


Scorpion

(DARPA, GMD 2001)


The (military) software crisis II



VHSIC (Very High Speed Intergrated Circuits) in the 1980s





The (military) software crisis III



VHSIC (Very High Speed Integrated Circuits) in the 1980s




… commercial and civil ICT coming up strongly


Dual–use reversed into its contrary

Computers: a genuine military technology?

Society blindfolded by IT's dual–use nature

Military applications build up on civil technologies

We paid for the maturing of technologies by our private expenditures


Armed robots and robot arms: Technologies to beget nightmares


U.S.A. plan to replace a large part of their weaponry by unmanned combat vehicles (air, ground, and sea)


Predator (length 8 m) 2 Hellfire missiles (US Air Force)

Reaper (length 11 m), 8 Hellfire missiles

(US Air Force)

Armed unmanned air vehicles (killer drones)


Armed unmanned ground vehicles and

surface and underwater vehicles

Talon SWORD

US Army, Foster-Miller

Protector

(USA,

Lockheed-Martin/BAE/Rafael)

Swordfish(USA)


Scientific impact, computer science and information

and communication technology in particular

embedded systems

digital control

communication networks

image processing

sensors and actuators

big data

artificial intelligence

and much more


Killer drones and such in German academia

Professor Wünsche, University of the Armed Forces Munich(cf. Plug&Pray)

Professor Paulus, University of Koblenz

Professor Beyerer,Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technology

and Image Exploitation together with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

NATO competitions for underwater robots with students teams


Launching missiles of killer drones still by human soldiers

(from Nevada and Germany(?))

thousands of attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jemen and in Iraque

targeted killings and signature strikes

many deaths of civilians

undeclared wars


Totally autonomous robot arms coming soon

decisions about life and death by machines

robots will kill on their own whenever launched

can they know and respect the laws of war?

can they distinguish between combatants and civilians?

can they save cultural goods?

can they work ethically correct?


Ron Arkin

Georgia Institute

of Technology

Maschine ethics is not only possible,but also desirable

Robots never panic

Robots can judge orders and refuse themif they are not appropriate

(artificial conscience)


Our view

Unmanned vehicles and autonomous weapons with „programmed conscience“ will not work correctly

They will not observe the laws of war

They should be banned like biological and chemical weapons (cf. campaign by the International Committee for Robot Arms Control)

What about civil robots? ROBOCUP? Rescue robots?


"Security research": blurring reality

Policy fosters merge between military and civil R&D

1. Introduce euphemisms

2. Establish appropriate structurese.g. VVS: 5 FhG–institutes + 3 FGAN institutes

3. Create BudgetsBMBF: part of "high–tech strategy" (6.000 mio €)EU: Security Research Programme (1.400 mio €)

Universities benefit from trickle down effect

The ‘revolution’ – going undercover …


"Security research": blurring reality

Policy fosters merge between military and civil R&D

1. Introduce euphemisms

2. Establish appropriate structurese.g. VVS: 5 FhG–institutes + 3 FGAN institutes

3. Create BudgetsBMBF: part of "high–tech strategy" (6.000 Mill. €)EU: Security Research Programme (1.400 Mill. €)

Universities benefit from trickle down effect

The silent conversion …


Perils of ICT–based weapon systems I

Recent trends in military affairs (quite dependent on ICT) accelerate the arms race

fighting terrorism (in particular with killer drones) merging civil and military security seemingly smart weapons (like unmanned vehicles) cyberwarfare high-tech weapons vs. suicide bombers

Political, industrial and military complex keeps all optionsfor all kinds of war (rather than for defense only)


Perils of ICT–based weapon systems II

Hiding real warfare behind computer screens

control centers are far away from the battle fields cyberattacks (may cause a lot of damage and save the own

soldiers, but are hard to attribute) similarly, autonomous armed robots

War is meant to become a normal, acceptable and permanent reality


Perils of ICT–based weapon systems III

War is meant to become a normal, acceptable, attractive and permanent reality misleading advertisements campaign Wir. Dienen. Deutschland. postal stamp


Our message

Stop sleepwalking into a technology-driven ‘defense’ policy

Employ your expert knowledge to enhance public awareness

Engage yourself

Try to recognize your potential involvement in weapon development

Initiate a debate on ethics among those responsible for R&D policy and political decisions

Consider to foster a rigorous ban of all weapon systems which shirk public control (e.g. ICRAC)

Support computer professionals, who decline to take their part in military R&D


Join FIfF …


Annual FIfF Conference 2013

Cyberpeace

October 25 – 27, 2013Siegen

no fees

open for everybody

fiff.de/2013


Thanks!

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