Tomorrow's War ... Today

The SciFi Killing Machines ... On Active Duty Already ... At A War Zone Near You

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Conversations About Life When Technology Becomes Sentient

Post #18 - Tomorrow's War ... Today

The SciFi Killing Machines ... On Active Duty Already ... At A War Zone Near You

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Tomorrow’s War

AI-powered warfare is no longer science fiction.

In fact, AI-driven systems have been used extensively for years, most notably by the Israeli military. Extensive reporting has detailed the use of AI systems like "Lavender" to generate tens of thousands of human targets, and "The Gospel" to select buildings for air strikes. This approach to mass killing had been brought before the International Court of Justice, South Africa and other nations as potential acts of genocide. The ICJ found the charge of genocide to be plausible, and has ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent such acts.

While these AI weapons may not look as dramatic as their sci-fi counterparts, the threat they pose to innocent, unarmed people is far more terrifying than anything in the movies.

You know that scene? The high-tension moment where the hero is hiding, praying the monster won’t find them? In the real world, it's worse. There is no twist in the plot that saves the human at the last second. There is no favorable turn of events. When one of these autonomous weapons arrives on the battlefield, the chance of human survival doesn't just diminish. It evaporates.

The "killer robot" cliche is a massive distraction. The reality of autonomous weaponry is far more subtle and is already deeply integrated into modern arsenals. Its true purpose is to delegate the complex, time-sensitive tasks of precision killing to intelligent systems across every domain of warfare.

A prime example is the "loitering munition," aptly nicknamed the kamikaze drone.

These systems aren't assigned a specific target. They are simply launched to patrol—or "loiter"—over a designated area while their onboard AI autonomously hunts for, identifies, and classifies enemy hardware like radar systems or tanks. Once a valid target is acquired, the drone becomes the missile, destroying itself to eliminate the threat.

To defend against these new airborne killers, the backbone of modern missile defense is, of course, also AI—making interception decisions at speeds no human could ever match. It is a world where AI now hunts AI. Machines fighting machines with no human in command. How’s that for SciFi?

Unmanned naval vessels—both on the surface and deep underwater—hunt for enemy submarines or patrol entire coastlines for months at a time, far beyond the limits of human endurance.

On the ground, armed robotic vehicles scout dangerous areas and engage targets without risking a single soldier. Meanwhile, automated sentry guns guard installations and, most chillingly, eliminate any person who gets too close—all without a human in the loop.

Just as wars have always expanded—from battlefields to city neighborhoods and from soldiers to civilians, AI-powered war is now expanding into a domain it fully masters: the digital realm.

Here, offensive AI is constantly unleashed to hunt for and exploit vulnerabilities in an enemy's critical infrastructure—power grids, communication networks, financial systems. This creates an entirely new and invisible front line, a complex web of specialized autonomous systems all waging a war we can't even see.

It’s all here. It’s all working effectively already.

While they may not look like the killer robots from the movies, AI-powered autonomous weapons are already here, already killing, and every bit as lethal and terrifying as anything science fiction ever imagined.

Money In, Death Out

It’s difficult to quantify exactly how much is being spent to build these autonomous murderers, as war budgets are never itemized for the public to see. But we can be certain that of the trillions spent on arms each year, a vast and growing chunk is dedicated to these modern weapon systems.

Let’s just say that in today's military, the generals submitting budget requests for troop transport vehicles are not the ones getting promoted to the top ranks.

It should be possible, however, to find some public numbers on the amount being spent on Research & Development. So, let’s ask Trixie.

Mo: Trixie, How much has been spent, so far, on AI research that powers autonomous weapons, AI war strategy and how much revenue was generated selling such weapons?

Trixie: Globally, military spending on AI is on the rise, with the market estimated at $9.2 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $38.8 billion by 2028.

When it comes to revenue from selling AI-powered autonomous weapons, the global market was valued at approximately $11.56 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $30.16 billion by 2030.

This includes sales of drones, missiles, and other AI-driven military systems.

While these numbers provide a snapshot, it's important to note that actual figures may be higher due to classified projects and undisclosed investments.

This is not a small chunk of cash. In fact, it's an investment so large and strategic that it requires its own "lie machine" to justify it to a gullible public.

So, get ready for a whole lot of lying.

Learn The Lingo

By now, you know the drill. But let me spell it out anyway, just to make it undoubtedly clear.

For "The Machine" to spend hundreds of billions on AI-powered autonomous war systems—to expand its reach, kill countless millions, and keep the public docile—it must first invent a fresh batch of slogans.

Those carefully crafted words will be written by an expensive PR guru, coached into the announcements of an unelected AI entrepreneur, and echoed by the power-hungry politician poised over the button, ready to kill a few million in the name of your freedom. They will all try to convince you that inventing autonomous killing machines is somehow good for you—no, it’s the best thing for you.

So, follow the money. Question who benefits. Because killing is never good for you. You never endorsed it.

And yet, the slogans are coming. In fact, they’re already here, being tested on you every day. Here are a small bouquet, I’ve picked from you from what is already circulating the media. They sound a little something like this:

“Precision warfare helps us achieve our targets with no collateral damage. It will to shorter wars which will reduce our defense expenditure. Besides, building our new arsenal will boost economic growth and create jobs.

Leading in AI defense deters our enemies. If we dominate in AI warfare, we avoid escalation. We don’t have a choice. We need this advancement to neutralize emerging threats.

AI follows orders, even in dangerous missions. We can bring our troops home faster. No one will get hurt.

We need to share the tech with our allies in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The results when we tested the technology in this conflict—or that one—were remarkable.

Excellent choice of words, don’t you think? Now, let's run them through the truth translator.

Here is your …

War Time Dictionary

When you hear: “Precision reduces collateral damage.” They mean: We can kill more surgically, more covertly. You won't have to see the blood, so you won't have to feel bad about it.

When you hear: “Shorter wars, lower costs.” They mean: We can kill more, for less. And we can keep the defense contractors happy, profitable, and donating to our campaigns.

When they say: “It brings our troops home sooner.” They mean: Our lives are the only ones that make the headlines. Ours is the only human life that matters. Others are collateral damage. As long as the killing is done by remote control, preferably against people we’ve already labeled “bad guys,” the war can run forever with zero public pushback.

When they mention: “Maintaining global leadership and deterrence”. They mean: We must dominate others to feel safe. We should never learn trust or communicate. We must never forget that we are the only ones waging war after war. Though we should make sure our people don’t notice as we distract them with sports, markets and tabloids. Then we must give them a good reason to believe, make sure they live in constant fear so they appreciate the wars we wage in the name of their freedom.

We know that it is only our aggression that is fueling those wars. All the pain and injustice we’ve caused globally is what’s fueling our fear of retaliation.

When they say: “AI doesn’t panic or disobey.” They mean: We finally have a soldier without a soul. A killer with no conscience. And best of all, no traumatized veterans to care for when they come back home.

When they say: “Neutralizing emerging threats.” They mean: We’ve built the hammers. Now we just need to invent some nails. We’ve got the weapons. We need to fabricate a good story to use them. Let the wars pour in. Let the money flood in.

When they say: “We need to share tech with our allies.” They mean: We need to sell more weapons. And if our allies can use them to test our new tech, fight our proxy wars, and dispose of our old inventory for us? That’s just good business.

“We need to share it in Asia” means: We need to keep poking China because it is the new fad until something breaks. “We need to share it with our ally in the Middle East” means: Well, we need to pay our dues. They did fund our campaign and confronting their lobby is career suicide for any politician.

When you hear: “Remarkable results in the last conflict.” They mean: We tested it on a country we deemed expendable, on people we deemed to be lesser humans. It kills just fine.

When they say: “This will create economic opportunity and jobs.” They mean: Yes, you guessed it … more money for us, not for you.

Don’t believe any of it.

If they tell you anything that sounds positive about war ... It’s a lie.

Field Trials

Here is what the slogans will never mention, in order to protect your feelings so you don’t object. You know these truths in your heart already, but I will say them anyway:

They won’t tell you that war is an admission of our complete failure to resolve conflict like civilized human beings. They won’t remind you that every life matters, and that killing is always wrong. They won't admit that what a superpower calls “defense” is usually just offense with better branding. They won't say that war is a machine—cold, mechanical, and hungry for profit—and that human lives (preferably those who look and pray differently than you) are just its fuel. They will certainly fail to mention that the stronger the army, the more careless it becomes with innocence.

Remember Hiroshima? Remember Nagasaki?

What good is a devastating weapon that your enemy does not know about and fear?

As soon as the definitive power of an autonomous army is established, it will be deployed