Killer robots

Killer robots

An international rights group¹ has called on world governments to ban²weaponized robots³. Human Rights⁴ Watch⁵ recently released a report⁶called⁷, "Losing Humanity: The Case against⁸ Killer Robots." It warns⁹ thatfully¹⁰ autonomous weapons¹¹ systems could increase the risk¹² tocivilians¹³ during¹⁴ armed conflicts. 

Militaries around the world¹⁵ are using Unmanned¹⁶ Aerial Vehicles¹⁷, also called “drones”, more and more¹⁸. The drones gather¹⁹ intelligence, help identify targets²⁰, and fire²¹ weapons, but only if a human operator gives the order. 

Human Rights Watch fears that²² within²³ 30 years developments²⁴ in technology could remove the need²⁵ for human operators. David Mepham is the United Kingdom²⁶ director of Human Rights Watch. He says his group is concerned²⁷ that robots will not be able²⁸ to tell²⁹ the differencebetween³⁰ civilians and combatants. 

The United States and other militaries have stated³¹ they have no plans to remove human supervision over³² the decision to use deadly³³ force. Human Rights Watch says a treaty³⁴ would help to guarantee³⁵ that this does not happen³⁶. The group says a ban on what it calls "killer robots" would be similar to³⁷ current³⁸ bans on the use of landmines³⁹ andcluster bombs⁴⁰.

Some experts⁴¹ say that all autonomous technology should be discussed⁴². For example, France sent⁴³ remote-controlled robots to Japan last year to help contain⁴⁴ the nuclear disaster⁴⁵ at the Fukushimapower center⁴⁶. This was a job⁴⁷ that most people would agree⁴⁸ was better left to machines⁴⁹. For VOA Learning English, I'm Alex Villarreal.

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Vocabulary

1.   international rights group = Grupo de direitos internacionais

2.   ban = banir, proibir

3.   weaponized robots robôs transformados em arma

4.   Human Rights = Direitos Humanos

5.   Watch = Vigilância

6.   released a report = Lançou um relatório

7.   called = chamado

8.   against = contra

9.   warns = alerta

10.  fully = totalmente

11.  weapons = armas, armamentos

12.  could increase the risk = poderia aumentar o risco

13.  civilians = civis

14.  during = durante

15.  around the world = ao redor do mundo

16.  Unmanned = não tripulados

17.  Aerial Vehicles = Veículos aéreos

18.  more and more = Cada vez mais

19.  gather = reunem, juntam

20.  identify targets = identificar alvos

21.  fire = disparar

22.  fears that = teme que

23.  within = dentro de (espaço de tempo)

24.  developments = desenvolvimentos

25.  need = necessidade

26.  United Kingdom = Reino Unido

27.  Concerned = preocupado

28.  will not be able = não serão capazes

29.  tell = distinguir

30.  between = entre

31.  have stated = tem declarado

32.  over = sobre

33.  deadly = fatal

34.  treaty = tratado

35.  guarantee = garantir

36.  happen = acontecer

37.  similar to = semelhante a

38.  current = atual

39.  landmines = minas terrestres

40.  cluster bombs = bombas de fragmentação

41.  experts = especialistas

42.  should be discussed = deveria ser discutido(a)

43.  sent = enviou

44.  contain = conter, controlar

45.  nuclear disaster = desastre nuclear

46.  power center = usina de energia

47.  job = trabalho

48.  would agree = concordaria

49.  was better left to machines = era melhor ser deixado para as máquinas

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