The Real Robot Uprising Begins, Then Ends

[Keane Ng]

The Real Robot Uprising Begins, Then Ends

The US military put down a rogue robot last week when a deadly unmanned aerial vehicle went out of control, forcing the Air Force to shoot it down.

The world had a close call with the inevitable robot uprising last Sunday. Things were going smoothly on a combat mission in Afghanistan when an American Reaper MQ-9 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-9_Reaper] - an autonomously controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (yes, a UAV just like in Call of Duty 4) capable of destroying tanks and buildings - suddenly went out of control.

"The aircraft was flying a combat mission when positive control of the MQ-9 was lost," USAFCENT Public Affairs reported. "When the aircraft remained on a course that would depart Afghanistan's airspace, a US Air Force manned aircraft took proactive measures to down the Reaper in a remote area of northern Afghanistan."

The Reaper was taken down and crashed into the side of a mountain. Nobody was injured.

A simple malfunction, perhaps, or possibly evidence of something more sinister? Details are scarce, though it seems like the Reaper was controlling itself and wasn't being piloted remotely when it started to veer off course. In any case, that's one fewer Reaper for the Air Force (they only have 27 now) and some $10.5 million down the drain. That's quite a bit of money to lose, but no price is too high when it comes to staving off the cyber-apocalypse.

[Via The Register [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/15/killer_robot_killed_by_fighter_jet/]]

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[tehbeard]

It will be back.

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

Not as fearsome as the Google Robot.

 

[Booze Zombie]

It will be back.

As a napkin ring, perhaps.

 

[ae86gamer]

Oh. Your. God.

That is terrifying.

Seriously, thats why making robots who can think for themselves is a bad idea.

 

[sallene]

I for one welcome the eventual rise of our robot masters and I am more than willing to oversee a human labor camp.......

 

[GamerLuck]

And on this day, Skynet was pleased.

 

[Keane Ng]

Well if it was just being used for Air-recon it probably didnt have any weapons on it, so the only real danger would have been it crash landing on something. Either way, the Airforce had to take care of it ASAP they really dont need another bad PR move.

Two words: combat mission.

This thing was ready to end us.

 

[Jedamethis]

Perhaps it was told to do so.....conspiracy!

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Damn, I knew I should of waited before telling it to move away... I really should hire better robo-minions.
That's it, I'm firing that Reaper. oh. too late...

 

[Lazy Kitty]

They should have built in a self-destruct-mechanism...
Actually, we don't have to worry about a robot uprising, not as long as we have something called E.M.P..

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Cue dramatic music!
How about if it was secretly hacked... ?!

Cyberwarfare suddenly becoming not to virtual and a load of rockets under the control of someone other than the military. Frightening stuff imho :S

 

[Beltom]

Speaking as someone who knows how these things work, it's more likely that that the remote satellite connection to the Reaper was cut off after it's last order was given. Or maybe i'm just a member of the government cover-up trying to convince you that everything is okay. Who knows.

Seriously, thats why making robots who can think for themselves is a bad idea.

They don't think for themselves. A pilot on the ground controls the vehicle via a satellite uplink that then sends order to the vehicle. It's more complicated that but it's a general outline.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Well if it was just being used for Air-recon it probably didnt have any weapons on it, so the only real danger would have been it crash landing on something. Either way, the Airforce had to take care of it ASAP they really dont need another bad PR move.

Two words: combat mission.

This thing was ready to end us.

Hardly ready to end us, it was in afghanistand i doubt it had the fuel capacity for long range flight. Also limited ammunition

 

[oshin]

We all know somebody probably just spilled Coke on there keyboard when they were piloting one of these things, it sure as hell wasnt actually controlling itself.

 

[dalek sec]

Son of *****, it's only a matter of time before we're fighting them in the streets and office buildings!

Spoiler: Like this!

 

[CyberKnight]

We all know somebody probably just spilled Coke on there keyboard when they were piloting one of these things, it sure as hell wasnt actually controlling itself.

That's what it WANTS you to think...