U.S. Military Admits for First Time That China Is Selling Lethal Autonomous Drones
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper called working with China on A.I. ‘a short and narrow-sighted focus on economic opportunity’
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper spoke out against China’s sale of highly autonomous drones on the international market for the first time today, calling into question China’s previous position that autonomous robots were dangerous and posed a “humanitarian concern.”
“As we speak, the Chinese government is already exporting some of its most advanced military aerial drones to the Middle East, as it prepares to export its next generation stealth UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] when those come on line,” Esper said today during a conference organized by the National Security Commission of Artificial Intelligence. “In addition, Chinese weapons manufacturers are selling drones advertised as capable of full autonomy, including the ability to conduct lethal targeted strikes.”
This is the first time a top U.S. official has spoken about China’s sale of lethal autonomous drones, even though it is suspected that the machines have been sold to countries in the Middle East since at least late 2018. Chinese state media has publicized the…
