The U.S. military is testing missiles that can steer themselves with artificial intelligence

The Air Force and the Navy, in collaboration with weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin, are testing missiles that can steer themselves and choose their own targets using a form of artificial intelligence, according to an eye-opening report from The New York Times. U.S. officials deny that the missiles are so-called "autonomous weapons" — i.e. free of human guidance and control — but experts disagree.

The report sheds light on the growing autonomous weapons industry, which could change warfare as we know it. From the Times:

An international summit to be held later this week in Geneva is to determine whether the production of such weapons should be curbed under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

To which we will say just two words: Sky. Net.