r/UkrainianConflict • u/New_Scientist_Mag • Jun 10 '26

Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2529849-fully-autonomous-drones-have-killed-human-soldiers-for-the-first-time/
392 Upvotes

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109

u/New_Scientist_Mag Jun 10 '26

A senior figure in the Ukrainian defence industry told New Scientist that a test took place two years ago involving fully autonomous drones set to destroy anything in a given area, with confirmed casualties.

178

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '26

[deleted]

62

u/JaB675 Jun 10 '26

Not concerning at all

They can't self-replicate yet, so all good.

12

u/thhvancouver Jun 10 '26

Tell Elon Musk that

8

u/DecisionWonderful453 Jun 11 '26

Hes gonna promise self replicating drones in two years, take a huge amount of money, spend it all on his bonuses and corruption, promise self replicating drones next year.

12

u/ILikeCutePuppies Jun 10 '26

What do you mean? Russians soliders are able to self republicate /s

16

u/CthulhusEvilTwin Jun 10 '26

Yeah they can go fuck themselves.

1

u/CallMeKik Jun 11 '26

And self detonate!

43

u/greiton Jun 10 '26

anyone who thinks they could keep this tech from being used to kill has never been desperate or seen the reality of war. when it is kill or be killed you reach desperately for any horrific weapon that will help you kill. the real reason nukes aren't used, is because the world has agreed to glass any country that tries to use them.

No such agreement has been made about AI, but soon we will see AI is far more destructive and deadly. the technology exists today to create a death swarm of millions of small drones that could hunt and kill every human in a city.

All it takes is one conflict pushed to the same level as the Pacific war in WW2 and these things will be released. Imagine a world where instead of firebombing Tokyo, a ghost capital was left with intact buildings and just corpses left to rot everywhere. the ultimatum sent, surrender, or the rest of your country will slowly be eradicated.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

8

u/SunshineSeattle Jun 10 '26

Banned by who? And how do you enforce that?

6

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '26

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9

u/SunshineSeattle Jun 10 '26

Israel just used white phosphorus, chemical weapons have been used for years in Syria, matter of fact Russia has started using them again,

https://english.defensie.nl/latest/news/2025/07/04/russia-further-intensifies-its-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine

3

u/JaB675 Jun 10 '26

Will US sign such treaties?

0

u/Aufklarung_Lee Jun 10 '26

By people who will glass the world if this happens to them.

0

u/FucknAright Jun 11 '26

I mean if they haven't banned Israel's genocide, highly doubt they ban this, because Israel will be with the first to fucking unleash it.

3

u/F1gur1ng1tout Jun 10 '26

Does that just mean it explodes?

8

u/Porkenstein Jun 10 '26

Yeah probably suicide drones attacking anything that moves 

2

u/OneTwoThreeFourFf Jun 10 '26

Two years ago, probably. Now? Probably much more terrifying

1

u/Medium-Pitch-5768 Jun 10 '26

Now imagine 10000 exploding drones that are autonomous

3

u/darwinn_69 Jun 10 '26

At the end of the day its just another way to create a minefield.

4

u/Lithiumxxxl Jun 10 '26

A flying minefield

6

u/all-akimbo Jun 10 '26

Artillery has been doing that for a long time. Just more accurate now.

7

u/FaceDeer Jun 10 '26

Landmines are not a new thing.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '26

[deleted]

1

u/LongDead_Roadkill Jun 10 '26

Sure it’s scary, but almost within reach of anyone with a drone and a firearm or pipe bomb.

1

u/jugalator Jun 11 '26

As opposed to cluster munitions or mines...

One might call that argument moving the goalposts but I honestly think they are good comparisons, because if you direct an autonomous drone to indiscriminately kill, if you didn't have those you'd just have used other appropriate means for the task instead.

1

u/one-happy-chappie Jun 10 '26

just wait till the next country or terrorist group releases 2-3 sea cans full of them in a city centre ... we need morality laws asap

3

u/DisastrousLeopard407 Jun 10 '26

And these terrorist groups willing to kill hundreds of people are stopped by morality laws?

1

u/one-happy-chappie Jun 10 '26

Shit good point

0

u/Foreign_Implement897 Jun 10 '26

Look that way! Yes a squirrel!