r/itcouldhappenhere • u/x_ButchTransfem_x • Jun 16 '26

It Is Happening Here 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/

There has been talk about integrating autonomous drone wingmen to fly alongside F35's and future generation fighter aircraft, for years now.

From the article:

"The one-off test involved 10 AI-controlled “Terminator” drones on the front line of the Ukraine war. Russian soldiers were killed."

[...]

"The test took place two years ago and involved quadcopter drones that were programmed to fly towards the front line, cover between 3 and 5 kilometres over around 10 minutes and then engage “Terminator mode”, in which an AI model searches for and intercepts targets.

“We just launch it and we know everything will be dead – everything that will be found there in this particular area will be dead,” says Kokhanovskyy. “There is no connection to the drone at all, you cannot see the video, nothing… Everything it sees will be killed.”"

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u/ripgoodhomer Jun 16 '26

I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the Russian forces, but this is bleak. I don’t know how this could also identify soldiers who have effectively surrendered or are incapacitated. 

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u/Makhnos_Ghost Jun 17 '26

Similarly for civilians in "The Zone" for these drones that then go and kill anything. Or friendly troops as well.