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Comment by robotresearcher | Hacker News Reader

We've had loitering munitions that choose their own target autonomously for a long time, for example anti-tank weapons that climb up after being released from a plane or helicopter then sit on a parachute until spotting one or more tanks and firing warheads at them.

The superficial new thing here is the exact quadcopter form factor, but the significance is the new price point. You bet the loitering anti-tank weapon costs a fortune. These drones are very cheap.

Of course, mines can be even cheaper, but you unwittingly engage them rather than them engaging you.

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I think the difference between a targeting a specific piece of military hardware compared to training an AI model to target humans and infrastructure is quite different. This explains why drones that get misdirected will target oil infrastructure in friendly countries.

Agreed. Even some of the latest IR missiles (AIM-9X I believe) also include a visual seeking component to compliment the IR seeker, and try to identify aircraft types based on their outlines (presumably for orienting the missile for maximum damage).

You just can't make that distinction with people, especially not if just using IR or the likes. The guy with a rifle slung over his shoulder just happens to look like the guy with carrying a rake. Hand gun in hand happens to look the same as a power drill. Someone wearing a beanie looks suspiciously like a soldier with a helmet.

This all feels like a really bad idea.

There are limitations to the technology, but in right scenarios it is perfect.

One should not use it on attack, when people need to distinguish between a soldier and a civilian.

But on a defence, when you need to keep a certain area empty from enemies (and there is nobody else but enemies incoming), then it resembles the usage of mines, only better (both in terms of efficiency and safety/callback/disarm).

Another scenario or cutting the logistics. If you know that a road is only used by military, then letting the automatic drones watch and engage is a great idea.

The US has made it very clear that they're going to be targeting Iranian water infrastructure. Israel have flattened most of the hospitals in Gaza along with the university. They just don't care about not targeting civilians any more.

> but you unwittingly engage them rather than them engaging you.

Directional anti-tank mines are a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PARM_1_mine

Or the Russian POM-3, scattered by aerial deployment, detects vibrations before bounding and detonating in the air.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POM-3_mine

I think autonomous drone mentioned in the article used some sort of "kill all targets" mode indiscriminently much like traditional munitions.

Right. The novelty is the cost.

the innovation was in the unit economics

That's because for NATO or the USSR cost was irrelevant.

The Ukraine war is a concept that was thought to be abandoned: an industrial war between near peers.

Anti ship missiles also need to search for targets once in the area

In the article there's no mention on the targeting works, self guided munitions have machines as targets, usually. A drone by itself might kill civilians and even allies if ot misidentifies a person or animal.

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