Robots That Kill Deadly Machines and Their Precursors in Myth, Folklore, Literature, Popular Culture and Reality

“Judith A. Markowitz is a very knowledgeable and entertaining writer. She makes it easy for non-technical people to understand technology of the future and enables all of us to think more clearly about how that future will affect our lives.”—James A. Larson, Ph.D., Program Chair, Speech Technology Conference “Dr. Markowitz presented to a large group of students at my school. Her presentation was thoughtful, engaging and interactive; the students thoroughly enjoyed it.”—Jennifer Smith, director, EF International Campus, Chicago “Distinguished scholar, entrepreneur, technology pioneer—Judith Markowitz brings a world of experience, credibility, intelligence, and sheer talent to whatever she undertakes. Our world of literature is richer for her presence.”—Katherine V. Forrest, author of the award-winning Kate Delafield series. This book describes real-world killer robots using a blend of perspectives. Overviews of technologies, such as autonomy and artificial intelligence, demonstrate how science enables these robots to be effective killers. Incisive analyses of social controversies swirling around the design and use of killer robots reveal that science, alone, will not govern their future. Among those disputes is whether fully-autonomous, robotic weapons should be banned. Examinations of killers from the golem to Frankenstein's monster reveal that artificially-created beings like them are precursors of real 21st century killer robots. This book laces the death and destruction caused by all these killers with science and humor. The seamless combination of these elements produces a deeper and richer understanding of the robots around us.