Russian ‘Skynet’ to lead military robots on the battlefield

In a step towards creating independent artificial intelligence comparable to Skynet from the 'Terminator' franchise, a Russian company has successfully tested software capable of undertaking decisions and carrying them out without any human intervention.

The United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (OPK), an integral part of the Rostec arms corporation, says it has developed the Unicum (Latin for 'the only one') software package that gives military or civilian robots enough artificial intelligence to perform complicated tasks completely on their own.

It can locate targets, choose dominating positions on a battlefield, request target elimination validation from human operators and eliminate the targets.

Russian ‘Skynet’ to lead military robots on the battlefield



So the Russians are claiming to have created the first AI war machines and are ready to deploy them in the battle field. Not sure if they may use these machines to fight against ISIS to demonstrate this new advancements in technology though.

What makes me also wonder, is how exactly can they tell the difference between a civilian and a solider in the battle field. But it is also good to note that this machines pretty much are like drones, as the operator gives the orders to launch attackes or fire a shot.

So theoretical in the battle field it should be able to seek and destroy based on commands from the operators.

I don't really know how to react to this news, as there is a part of me that's telling me we might as well be seeing the start of real life "Terminators" or "Rise of the Machines".

a reply to: InnerPeace2012

This is just an attempt to keep up with the US

DARPA has sky net 10.0 for god's sake

Who do you think drops serious money on killing technology

originally posted by: ScrewGmail
a reply to: InnerPeace2012

This is just an attempt to keep up with the US

DARPA has sky net 10.0 for god's sake

Who do you think drops serious money on killing technology

Has DARPA created machines capable of running thier own seek and destroy missions in the battle ground, apart from remotely controlled drones.

Because that's what the Russians are claiming here.

originally posted by: ScrewGmail
a reply to: InnerPeace2012


Who do you think drops serious money on killing technology

Every country that can afford it.

This may not be it but IT is coming ... When is the question... Perfect for fighting clean wars...if there is such a thing... not to mention police actions..

How about a nice game of chess?

Two points:

1. Every move calculated by each side

2. Kings chessing it out else dropping peeps on both sides if population overreaching had them paranoid.

So who's the better grandmaster? Can't we just reality simulate the battlefield and throw their clusters against our own?

Less resource destruction, same game. I mean who is Russia fooling, we got the biggest baddest tech and they know it. Silly posturing, me thinks.

originally posted by: 727Sky
This may not be it but IT is coming ... When is the question... Perfect for fighting clean wars...if there is such a thing... not to mention police actions..

If this is not IT then what can be? I am surprised with the responses so far, maybe I haven't been keeping up with news in these area.

But to me, if this machines are given the all clear by the Russian government to be deployed in the battle field that's as good as bringing AI technology right into the battle fields, clean wars if you will.

“This is the first [AI] system of that quality that has successfully completed the tests and has been passed on to the client. The technology is being readied for installation on real life robotic systems, both civilian and in the military, including unmanned aerial vehicles,” OPK Deputy Director Sergey Skokov said.

“The software system has passed all the [governmental] commissions,” Skokov stressed.

Advancement of our weapons is inevitable. We started with a rock and a stick. Later we shaped the rock and put it on the stick...


AI advancement will be driven by two forces: consumer marketing and weapons systems development.

Mostly the later.

So basically they have remotely manned machines, much like our armbed bomb defusing , and house clearing Units?

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
So basically they have remotely manned machines, much like our armbed bomb defusing , and house clearing Units?

Not really, it roams on it's own, based of commands program prior to it's mission and only communicates with the Operator, when it locks on a target whether to shoot or not.

That's what the news article is saying...

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Not really, Russia knows US has an ego, and media will play up this russian announcement, so I think they are trying to get US to say 'oh hey, by the way we have THIS, it is better than yours'.

All in a clever bid to show the world populous the reality of the Wests Military Industrial Complex.

And yes, I'm sure the US has a lot better.

originally posted by: InnerPeace2012

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
So basically they have remotely manned machines, much like our armbed bomb defusing , and house clearing Units?

Not really, it roams on it's own, based of commands program prior to it's mission and only communicates with the Operator, when it locks on a target whether to shoot or not.

That's what the news article is saying...

I still dont see that as AI, i see that just like any other programmed machine, we can take a drone and program it to move to certain points and it will do so.........

Thats not AI thats just programming

originally posted by: InnerPeace2012

originally posted by: ScrewGmail
a reply to: InnerPeace2012

This is just an attempt to keep up with the US

DARPA has sky net 10.0 for god's sake

Who do you think drops serious money on killing technology

Has DARPA created machines capable of running thier own seek and destroy missions in the battle ground, apart from remotely controlled drones.

Because that's what the Russians are claiming here.

You have guided missiles that can home in on radar (microwave) and infra-red emissions, possibly even mobile phones and cell-phone towers as well as laser-guided munitions.

Cruise missiles compare the terrain against their own internal maps. They even have "threat maps" where they avoid areas where other cruise missiles have "disappeared", so they make decisions aboutt where to go.

Those C-130 flying gunships have a control system that lets operators select targets using multi-spectral imaging, place them in a queue, and the weapons systems activate when the aircraft is in the optimum location.

Patriot missile systems would automatically launch and home in on incoming missiles.

Modern day undersea mines have acoustic pattern recognition so they will "hide" when they hear minesweepers and rise when they hear high value ships. That leads to countermeasures where ships try and disguise their engine noise.

Torpedoes and Exocet missiles will head towards a target, and go into a search mode if they lose track of the target.

There are some air-dropped anti-tank weapons that will glide slowly downwards until they recognize a target, then rapidly
shout off daughter missiles when they recognize targets.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask

originally posted by: InnerPeace2012

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
So basically they have remotely manned machines, much like our armbed bomb defusing , and house clearing Units?

Not really, it roams on it's own, based of commands program prior to it's mission and only communicates with the Operator, when it locks on a target whether to shoot or not.

That's what the news article is saying...

I still dont see that as AI, i see that just like any other programmed machine, we can take a drone and program it to move to certain points and it will do so.........

Thats not AI thats just programming

They are like these things Knightscope they have been using in for a couple years at the tech firms. Not going to replace anybody on the battle field anytime soon.

originally posted by: LightAssassin
a reply to: pl3bscheese

Not really, Russia knows US has an ego, and media will play up this russian announcement, so I think they are trying to get US to say 'oh hey, by the way we have THIS, it is better than yours'.

All in a clever bid to show the world populous the reality of the Wests Military Industrial Complex.

And yes, I'm sure the US has a lot better.

That makes zero sense. How would the world think any differently of the MIC from this?

Do you suppose another round of autism awareness bracelets will create a paradigm shift as well?

a reply to: stormcell

Thanks for post that information, it just makes modern warfare a really scary thing to even consider.

originally posted by: InnerPeace2012

originally posted by: ScrewGmail
a reply to: InnerPeace2012

This is just an attempt to keep up with the US

DARPA has sky net 10.0 for god's sake

Who do you think drops serious money on killing technology

Has DARPA created machines capable of running thier own seek and destroy missions in the battle ground, apart from remotely controlled drones.

Because that's what the Russians are claiming here.

Most US drones have the capability to continue on with the mission when the pilots put it on autopilot. From what I understand...

So I think this is just the tip of the iceberg, there will be drones tanks and subs as well as satellites in orbit all controlled by AI. I think there will also be AI manufacturing and assembly of everything in warfare to take the human element out of it completly.

So to summarize imagine a 3d printing factory the size of a shipping crate able to make anything for warfare. The materials could come from the surrounding environment and be smelted on the spot. There is also using carbon to craft items.

originally posted by: InnerPeace2012

originally posted by: ScrewGmail
a reply to: InnerPeace2012

This is just an attempt to keep up with the US

DARPA has sky net 10.0 for god's sake

Who do you think drops serious money on killing technology

Has DARPA created machines capable of running thier own seek and destroy missions in the battle ground, apart from remotely controlled drones.

Because that's what the Russians are claiming here.

Yes, but it has not deployed them because that would not be ethical. The Russians have no such qualms.

Its not just Russia that has a skynet its happening in the USA too. . . .