Hurtling towards "a new, more humane, paradigm of warfare":

IN a move straight from science fiction movies, US military scientists are pushing for computer controlled war machines to decide for themselves whether to attack an enemy...

Scientists argue "armed autonomous systems" such as aerial drones, unmanned tanks and ships could target enemy weapons far more rapidly and accurately, resulting in fewer people being killed.

The proposal has caused controversy in the US, as a machine could not be held responsible for killing innocent civilians.

Chief engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Virginia, John Canning, told a recent defence conference that computer controlled armed vehicles would be the next major development in warfare.

"Using armed unmanned vehicles, we have a chance to adopt a new, more humane, paradigm of warfare, one which targets individual weapons instead of warriors."

I wonder if the robots will be programmed with the same anything-goes rules of engagement as the "human" army in Iraq?