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Artificial Intelligence has been transforming the way in which armies face each other for years. Thanks to the development of technology, many countries have embarked on the development of weapons that are even capable of deciding completely autonomously to launch attacks against human targets. And it is possible that this type of device is currently being used by Russia on Ukrainian soil. A few days ago, ‘Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist’ echoed the discovery, by analysts, of a type of Russian-made autonomous drone known as ZALA Aero KUB-BLA in the vicinity of kyiv.
The images of the device, apparently taken on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, were shared through Telegram in the middle of last March.
The KUB-BLA is manufactured by the Russian company Kalashnikov, known for its popular AK-47 assault rifle. According to the military information portal ‘1945’, the device has a wingspan of 1.2 meters, can reach 130 kilometers per hour and stay in the air for 30 minutes before attacking the target by launching explosives.
At the moment, it is unknown if the drone was working properly. fully autonomouswithout the control of any human being. There is no doubt that Russia is one of the countries that is strongly committed to the development of technology with the capacity to end human lives without the need for anyone to control its actions. These types of devices are also known in English as ‘killer robots’ (‘killer robots’, in Spanish).
According to the ‘Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist’, it may not even be the first time that the country has used these devices in a combat situation. Some analyzes suggest that the remains of a drone found in Syria in 2019 were, precisely, from a KUB-BLA.
A controversial technology
In recent years, AI experts, governments and non-profit organizations have warned about the risks of leaving the decision of who lives and who dies on the battlefield in the hands of a machine. Experts consulted by ABC a few months ago made it clear that, in the end, a technological device always runs the risk of making mistakes, which is why they discouraged the use of this type of weaponry. At the moment, despite this, an international agreement has not been reached to help control its use.
Russia, in addition, is one of the countries that is strongly betting on the development of autonomous weapons. And it is that the KUB-BLA drone is not the only device of this type that is part of its arsenal. The country also has, for example, an automated version of its tank T 14 Armywhich is capable of responding to enemy fire without being ordered by a human being.
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