Pentagon Scientists Discuss Cybernetic Super Soldiers in Dystopian Presentation | Hacker News Reader

Pentagon Scientists Discuss Cybernetic Super Soldiers in Dystopian Presentation

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33 pointsrntn25 comments

I like how the article did its best to bury the lede that the crux of the discussion was how to better understand and manage these new technologies. To quote the panel prompt "[T]here are some real-world fears and ethical questions that need to be asked. Just because we can, should we?"

Isn't this exactly the type of discussion we want happening in a public forum?

There's a perverse incentive here where the military industrial complex is constantly pursuing more profits/contracts. That almost always means inventing new, terrible weapons. So the ethics end up taking a back seat to corporate greed.

If the technology exists then someone will have it. If not you, then your adversaries. Rather it is in your hands.

It's gonna make the census interesting.

What is your ethnicity?

Hispanic or Latino

Super soldier

Hispanic or Latino super soldier

Not Hispanic or Latino or super soldier

Dating apps too. Subscribe now to see the super soldiers fresh from war!

Why would this be considered anything to do with ethnicity?

Good question, lol. I never understood that field at all. How is it different from race? Shrug

…why would this have anything to do with race either?

Why not? I'd imagine they're still a subdivision of human. Each super soldier probably has different augmentations/mutations to their different genetics, the same way different races do.

Edit: Maybe it's just easier for me to think about it in video game terms, where race/class is very common. Race can be anything from cyborg to cat person, and class would be "soldier" instead of "martial artist" or "cook" or whatever.

In the real world, IMO it'd be weird to think of them as a different species altogether, at least at first. Eventually they may evolve to something better.

Conflating “genetic” to “race” is bizarre. Race in real life is based on a tiny subset of possible genetic differences, mostly focused on appearance. Down syndrome or other noticeable genetic mutations aren’t a race.

It's worth noting that NONE of the objectives of this group are defensive, like detecting or disabling 'the enemy'. They're entirely offensive. Big red flag.

Those aren't the objectives of this group. If you read the prompt about the panel, those are potential upcoming capabilities they're concerned about.

> It's worth noting that NONE of the objectives of this group are defensive, like detecting or disabling 'the enemy'. They're entirely offensive.

Detecting and disabling the enemy are also entirely offensive objectives. They are useful defensively for the same reason that every other offensive capability is useful defensively.

Hey, at least they're incapable of leaking war crimes to WikiLeaks

Good. Offense is the best form of defence.

"New species is born: 'Homo robocopus,' it said."

I remember a similar thing having been said in history, over and over again, in fact.

I think the point was that it's concerning. In fact, to quote the article:

"It’s a direct quote from a 2019 European report about the ethical concerns of the world’s superpowers attempting to engineer super soldiers."

We already have Kafka, so now is time for Čapek.

Peter Watts zombie coming to life, with the consciousness completely deactivated for combat effectiveness?

Consciousness is a useful thing during combat. Maybe you wanted to say "conscience".

Time to rewatch “universal soldier”.

Replay "Deus Ex", too. (Should have done that in 2020, when the pandemic was raging on, as in the game.)

Concerning, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Although it could creep up on us.

Never read “The Men Who Stare at Goats”.

Too late.

We're Doomed.

I cannot conceive of any possible negative consequences if this technology comes to pass.

I am also sure that when it does come, it will be under budget and on schedule.

/s/

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