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The Pentagon Wants Human Soldiers to Trust Their Robot Comrades - IEEE Spectrum

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Summary: Trusting Robot Killers - Should We have Laws for LAWS. The essay explores the complex relationship between human soldiers and their robotic counterparts on the battlefield. It examines the range of emotional responses soldiers have had towards remote-controlled robots, from forming warm bonds to outright hostility when the machines malfunction. The essay discusses the Pentagon's strong push to integrate autonomous and semi-autonomous systems into military operations, with officials like former deputy defense secretary Robert O. Work advocating for "human-machine collaboration" to gain technological superiority. However, this vision faces a key obstacle - the lack of trust between humans and machines. The article delves into the psychological and social challenges of convincing soldiers to place their faith in autonomous systems, which can quickly evaporate in high-stakes combat situations. It cites examples of aviators' distrust of unmanned aerial vehicles

Top Russian Hypersonic Scientist Sentenced to 7 Years for Treason - The Moscow Times

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This photo illustration by Newsweek shows Alexander Kuranov (inset), who headed the Scientific Research Enterprise of Hypersonic Systems (NIPGS). He was arrested in 2021 and on April 18, 2024 got a seven-year jail sentence on... Newsweek/Getty Summary Below articles discuss the development of hypersonic technologies in Russia and the arrest of several scientists involved in this work on charges of treason. The question is "will this cripple the effort to develop new hypersonic platforms"   Key points: Alexander Kuranov, head of a hypersonic research institute in St. Petersburg, was recently sentenced to 7 years in prison for treason. Several other scientists have been arrested on similar charges in recent years. Russia has been developing hypersonic missiles and aircraft for decades, including the Ajax hypersonic multi-purpose aircraft concept proposed in the 1980s. This aimed to use aerodynamic heating to power onboard systems. - In 2004, Russia tested the X-90 Koal

After Twenty-Years as a Fugitive En-Wei Chang Pleads Guilty to Export of Defense Articles to Iran for 2 year sentence

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En-Wei Eric Chang District of Maryland | Twenty-Year Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Defense Articles to Iran | United States Department of Justice - a fugitive until his arrest on April 10, 2023, at Rome-Fiumicino International Airport in Italy and subsequent extradition to the United States. justice.gov Baltimore , Maryland – En-Wei Eric Chang, age 48, a citizen of the United States and the Republic of Taiwan, residing in Taiwan, pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge, related to the export of defense materials to Iran.  Such materials were embargoed under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR).   The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department o