Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century (Library Edition)
Product Description What happens when science fiction becomes battlefield reality? A military expert reveals how science fiction is fast becoming reality on the battlefield, changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itself. Singer's previous books foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldiers -- predictions that have proved all too accurate. Now he explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: robotic warfare. We are now seeing a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator a reality. Over seven thousand robotic systems are now in Iraq; pilots in Nevada are remotely killing terrorists in Afghanistan; scientists are debating just how smart -- and lethal -- to make their current prototypes; and many renowned science fiction authors are secretly consulting for the Pentagon. Blending historic evidence with interviews from the field, Singer vividly shows that as these technologies multiply, they will have profound effects on both the front lines and the politics back home. Replacing men with machines may save some lives but will lower morale and psychological barriers to killing. The ''warrior ethos,'' which has long defined soldiers' identity, will erode, as will the laws of war that have governed military conflict for generations. Paradoxically, the new technology will also bring war to our doorstep. As other nations and terrorist organizations obtain their own robotic weapons, the robot revolution could undermine America's military preeminence. While his analysis is unnerving, there's an irresistible gee-whiz quality to the innovations Singer uncovers. Wired for War travels from Iraq and Afghanistan, where these machines are now fighting, to modern-day ''skunk works'' in the midst of suburbia, where tomorrow's technologies of war are quietly being designed. In Singer's hands, the future of war is as fascinating as it is frightening. Review P. W. Singer has written what is likely to be the definitive work on this subject for some time to come. He has a record of drawing out the underlying trends in modern warfare, with previous books on child soldiers and the increasing use of mercenaries. Wired for War will confirm his reputation: it is riveting and comprehensive, encompassing every aspect of the rise of military robotics, from the historical to the ethical. --Financial Times If you want the whole story of remote warfare, pick up a copy of Wired for War, in which Peter Singer, a fellow of the non-profit Brookings Institution in Washington DC, exhaustively documents the Pentagon's penchant for robotics. Think of it as the next step in the mechanisation of war: swords and arrows, guns, artillery, rockets, bombers, robots. --New ScientistRobotics promises to be the most comprehensive instrument of change in war since the introduction of gunpowder. --Publishers Weekly Blew my f***ing mind. . . This book is awesome. --Jon Stewart, The Daily Show Drawing from sources spanning popular culture and hard science, Singer reveals how the relationship between man and robot is changing the very nature of war. . . I found this book fascinating, deep, entertaining, and frightening. --Howard Gordon, writer and executive producer of 24, The X-Files, and Buffy the Vampire SlayerIn his latest work, Wired for War, Singer confesses his passion for science fiction as he introduces us to a glimpse of things to come - the new technologies that will shape wars of the future. His new book addresses some ominous and little-discussed questions about the military, technology, and machinery. -- Harper's . . . A vivid picture of the current controversies and dazzling possibilities of war in the digital age. --Kirkus Reviews P. W. Singer has fashioned a definitive text on the future of war around the subject of robots. In no previous book have I gotten such an