Nicholas West – Amid a global drone arms race is the pursuit of ever greater autonomous weapons systems that have come to be known as “killer robots” — systems that will make decisions and carry out lethal strikes with zero need for human input.

Public outrage already has surged over the ongoing drone killings of innocent people in the primarily US-led wars abroad, while even the drone operators themselves have cracked under the strain … revealing that, yes, war is just as horrific if conducted via joystick.

Regardless, the world’s largest defense contractors plunge ahead fueled by a seemingly never-ending stream of taxpayer dollars that continue to improve upon drone weapons systems and robotic artificial intelligence. If investment continues apace, it threatens to merge into a killer robot scenario that tech luminaries, universities, human rights organizations and even robot makers are warning against.

But do taxpayers funding these projects agree with where their money is being spent?

A new study – one of the largest ever on the subject – from the University of British Columbia makes it clear that an overwhelming majority of people, regardless of country or culture, want a complete ban placed upon any further development of these autonomous systems of war. Continue reading →