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Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 729 ratings

Paul Scharre, a Pentagon defense expert and former U.S. Army Ranger, explores what it would mean to give machines authority over the ultimate decision of life or death. Scharre's far-ranging investigation examines the emergence of autonomous weapons, the movement to ban them, and the legal and ethical issues surrounding their use. He spotlights artificial intelligence in military technology, spanning decades of innovation from German noise-seeking Wren torpedoes in World War II - antecedents of today's homing missiles - to autonomous cyber weapons, submarine-hunting robot ships, and robot tank armies.

Through interviews with defense experts, ethicists, psychologists, and activists, Scharre surveys what challenges might face "centaur warfighters" on future battlefields, which will combine human and machine cognition. We've made tremendous technological progress in the past few decades, but we have also glimpsed the terrifying mishaps that can result from complex automated systems - such as when advanced F-22 fighter jets experienced a computer meltdown the first time they flew over the International Date Line.

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Product details

Listening Length 13 hours and 21 minutes
Author Paul Scharre
Narrator Roger Wayne
Audible.com Release Date May 08, 2018
Publisher Tantor Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07CRK39J7
Best Sellers Rank #193,612 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#41 in Automation & Robotics
#41 in Military Weapons
#105 in Military Science

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
729 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and well-written. They find it a comprehensive review of the subject from a practical, technological, and ethical perspective. The book provides useful guidance on the debate around autonomous weapons and the ethical implications of automated warfare. It also discusses the issues in using AI and the importance of AI for human beings. However, opinions differ on the writing style - some find it well-written and informative, while others find it difficult to read or repetitive.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

30 customers mention "Readability"27 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and insightful. They say it's well-written and provides a good discussion of the issues. While some find it content-heavy, they consider it a worthwhile read that rewards their time.

"...Though this book focuses on the weapons, the subject is still an eye opener. This book is well written and not boring at all." Read more

"...An enjoyable read - sharing opinions not only from the author but many other opinion leaders working on this field." Read more

"Well written book. Eye opening account of where the military is heading, and the role of technology...." Read more

"...I gave the book three stars because it was content rich but needed better execution to achieve its mission - whatever that may have been." Read more

26 customers mention "Knowledge level"23 positive3 negative

Customers find the book provides a comprehensive review of the subject from a practical, technological, and ethical perspective. They say it offers great value in understanding what the world will be like. The account touches on all the critical questions surrounding new tech. Overall, it's a great introduction to this subject that provides plenty of food for thought. Readers describe the book as accessible and well-researched, making the science and philosophy approachable to non-experts.

"...Eye opening account of where the military is heading, and the role of technology...." Read more

"...interests you, Mr. Scharre's book provides a comprehensive review of the subject from a practical, technological and ethical perspective...." Read more

"...Overall, a great introduction to this subject that will provide plenty of food for thought for even those who follow these issues." Read more

"...It is also a very realistic view of what questions we will need to ask ourselves before, or during the development of AI systems. Why?..." Read more

12 customers mention "Ethical content"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book useful for understanding the debate around autonomous weapons. They find it provides a good overview of the technology and the ethical implications of automated warfare. The book also looks at the effectiveness of various weapons bans over the last century and over hundreds of years.

"A quite comprehensive analysis on Autonomous weapons, starting from the definition and ending on a philosophical note...." Read more

"...This book definitely encompasses the whole spectrum of issues about autonomous weapons, including picking up bits from many high risk industries...." Read more

"...If also looks at the effectiveness of various weapons bans both in the last century and over hundreds of years...." Read more

"This book is a comprehensive overview of autonomous weapons and how they will shape how war is conducted in the future, great for both specialists..." Read more

5 customers mention "Use of ai"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides insights into the issues with using AI, including ethics and the importance of AI for human beings. They also mention it provides military, science, and government perspectives on the use of AI.

"...military context, but it gives a great discussion and insight into the issues in using AI, leading to the AI ethics question...." Read more

"...and ability to discuss the military, science, and government perspectives on the use of AI. Awesome book" Read more

"The importance of AI for human beeing...." Read more

"Super relevant and informative discussion on AI in general..." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's writing style. Some find it insightful and well-written, while others find it difficult to read and repetitive.

"...This book is well written and not boring at all." Read more

"Well written book. Eye opening account of where the military is heading, and the role of technology...." Read more

"...Finally, the writing style was workmanlike, which is acceptable but not helpful when such a complex issue is the subject...." Read more

"...I found the author to be very candid, well read, and open in his presentation of the present condition of autonomous weapons...." Read more

he has totally omitted US operations in Afghanistan in 2009-11
1 out of 5 stars
he has totally omitted US operations in Afghanistan in 2009-11
I bought this book with great interest and was very keen to read it.Now having read it , following are my very frank views.Much of the details in this book are pure data which can be picked from any source and reproduced.The book all along is weak in analysis and rich in technical facts which does not really help a keen student of military affairs who wants to improve his operational knowledge.The author has been a part of the bureaucracy and has refrained from critical analysis.For example he could have critically analysed how much US drone warfare in Afghanistan was linked to commercial considerations and kickbacks.Interestingly he has simply omitted the biggest US drone operations in history carried out in Afghanistan.The most important drawback of such books is that so far the USA has worked in warfare environments where it enjoyed overwhelming superiority , which will not be a case in a war with a more credible foe.On page 94 he is wrong when he writes that Blitzkrieg had connection with Germanys technical superiorityIn reality German success was more linked to superior German doctrine and a far superior strategic plan now famous as Manstein Plan.Page 114 contains grammatical errors on line three , poor editing in a very expensive book .Not acceptable.Nowhere does the author take into account the fact that conventional war with tanks involving major states like USA and Russia or NATO is simply not going to take place because of nuclear weapons.What we have seen since 1945 are low intensity conflicts waged by major states using proxies.He over rates Patriots missiles whose performance has been viewed very skeptically by great military thinkers like Martin Van Creveld.I remember exercise zarb e momin of October November 1989 where a Russian scud fired by Afghanistan at the Pakistan Army corps headquarters near Bhakkar missing the target by some 15 to 20 kilometres.The author does not explain why robots were still ineffective in Iraq war in tactical situations requiring decisions that only a human being could take.Similarly he has totally omitted US operations in Afghanistan in 2009-11 where US suffered heavy casualties.Not discussing ongoing US operations and integrating them with his technical details heavy book leaves a bad taste in the mouth.His references to Iraq war while interesting still do not paint a clear picture how US robots and allied systems fare in a major war against a more credible foe like Russia or China.The subject of the book is future of war with robots or robotics but the discussion remains fixed around technical data and the narrative is very poor about strategy or tactics.As a primer to increase your knowledge about robots the book is interesting .But serious discussion is severely lacking and the author is a typical man with a vested interest , who wants to avoid serious discussion.I don’t regret having bought this book as my technical knowledge has improved but wont regard it as any addition to my knowledge of military or serious strategic or operational matters.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019
    This book was on Bill Gates top 5 books for 2018. I respect his opinion about books since every book I read that he recommended was spot on. I use to work as an importer for MS way in the early days, and the books his marketing team would recommend were life changing for me. This book is not life changing, but a must read to understand where the modern battlefield is migrating to. I think a 5 star book should be able to last for ages, and not be some contemporary jot in the history of literature. Though this book is contemporary, the issue is something humans will have to deal with for the next hundred or so years.
    The book covers weapons that are AI driven, autonomous or automatic, and the issues evolved of having a weapon act alone without a human in the loop. He explains the difference between them, and there are major difference. I was impressed how fair he was. He covered all sides of the issues and did not take a hardline stance. Every time I thought he was sticking to a stance, he would eventually explain the other side. He does not hide the fact he does not want weapons to act totally alone without having a human in the loop. He sees no way to leave computerized weapons to make their own decisions about life or death. He prefers that smart computers assist humans to make better decisions, and not to make a decision in their place even though computers could probably make a more intelligent and quicker decision.
    The real problem all countries have is if the enemy is willing to abandon moral practices and allow computerized weapons to make their own decisions even if they know innocent lives could be lost. He mentions this dilemma but does not dwell on it. I wish he would have and give real example of countries that may abuse or may not have any choice given they are surrounded by hostile nations. He discusses the technologies of computerized weapons, but I wish he would have dived in a little more on the subject.
    We are entering a brave new age, and we are already witnessing AI and autonomous equipment slowly enter our lives. Though this book focuses on the weapons, the subject is still an eye opener. This book is well written and not boring at all.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2019
    A quite comprehensive analysis on Autonomous weapons, starting from the definition and ending on a philosophical note. An enjoyable read - sharing opinions not only from the author but many other opinion leaders working on this field.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2024
    Well written book. Eye opening account of where the military is heading, and the role of technology. Only caveat is this book was written years ago, and the speed of technology has advanced quickly. Some of the tech discussed is 5 years behind
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2019
    I read widely on AI and selected this book due to its ratings and a sample. My background includes ten years as a designer of control and safety systems for complex processes. This book definitely encompasses the whole spectrum of issues about autonomous weapons, including picking up bits from many high risk industries. These end up scattered about like little nuggets. There is significant discussion of the ethics and morals of accidents, and some of the politics of controlling technology.

    I found this a difficult read. Though the sections appeared to break this down into specific areas, the content within each section was often a mix of material that logically could have been elsewhere. There didn't appear to be an obvious reason for the ordering of the sections. Finally, the writing style was workmanlike, which is acceptable but not helpful when such a complex issue is the subject.

    I gave the book three stars because it was content rich but needed better execution to achieve its mission - whatever that may have been.
    32 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2018
    If the effect of artificial intelligence on warfare interests you, Mr. Scharre's book provides a comprehensive review of the subject from a practical, technological and ethical perspective. The Army Futures Command has just opened its headquarters in Austin, Texas, with a plan to ensure that the Army is prepared to fight the wars of the future. If this book is not on their reading list, it should be.

    Here are a few of the topics that the book covers. First, U.S. Army Ranger Scharre addresses the importance of "context" in combat by drawing on some of his experiences in combat in Afghanistan. The 7 year old girl sent by possibly hostile Afghans to recon his unit's position during an operation in Afghanistan. Under the definitions of war Ranger Scharre and his unit could have shot her, but they didn't because she looked to be about 7 years old. Would an autonomous weapon with the power to kill have made the same decision? Probably not.

    The book examines the question of "what is autonomy?" Not all nations define it the same way. What weapons have been built and used that could be considered autonomous. Some exist. Robots and drones - how are these being developed by the Pentagon and by private parties using off-the-shelf parts and software.

    Can autonomous weapons be used safely and, if they are used, what are the risks? Speed may be critical. If your opponent uses weapons that simply act faster than any human could, the likelihood is that other combatants will use these weapons as well.

    Does mankind "summon the demon" by building and deploying these machines? The book has a lengthy review of the parties and persons fighting to ban these weapons. If also looks at the effectiveness of various weapons bans both in the last century and over hundreds of years. Arms control has a very mixed history.

    One possible development may be the centaur warfighter - man plus machine. How do we control the warfighting capacities of machines with ever more capable artificial intelligence? My sense is that the range of outcomes will be tilted from "only with great difficulty" to "we can't."

    I was surprised by some of the information in the book, but I hadn't looked at the subject before. I found the author to be very candid, well read, and open in his presentation of the present condition of autonomous weapons. If you have an interest in the topic, I believe that the book will reward your time. Five stars.
    10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cultured Buyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal Read
    Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2023
    The future is now, folks.
  • jlhn
    5.0 out of 5 stars great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2024
    great read
  • T.N.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive overview of the future of robotics enhanced battlefield
    Reviewed in Germany on June 13, 2023
    Good read on how different militaries and great mind think of the automation of directed violence. Every military personnel must-read.
  • Piyush Shah
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timely Delivery
    Reviewed in India on August 11, 2022
    Frankly, it is waiting to be read!
  • octavio herrera
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante
    Reviewed in Mexico on November 25, 2020
    Muy enfocado al pinto de vista humano y toda la disyuntiva qué hay sobre el uso de sistemas autónomos . Lo interesante es que ni los organismos ni empresas que desarrollan dichos sistemas tienen claro o definido que es en si un sistema autónomo