An international rights group1 has called on world
governments to ban2
weaponized robots3.
Human Rights4 Watch5 recently released a report6 called7, "Losing
Humanity: The Case against8
Killer Robots." It warns9
that fully10
autonomous weapons11
systems could increase the risk12
to civilians13 during14 armed
conflicts.
Militaries around the world15
are using Unmanned16
Aerial Vehicles17,
also called “drones”, more and more18.
The drones gather19
intelligence, help identify targets20,
and fire21
weapons, but only if a human operator gives the order.
Human Rights Watch fears that22 within23 30 years developments24 in
technology could remove the need25
for human operators. David Mepham is the United
Kingdom26 director of Human Rights Watch. He says his group
is concerned27
that robots will not be able28
to tell29 the
difference between30
civilians and combatants.
The United States and
other militaries have stated31
they have no plans to remove human supervision over32 the decision to use deadly33 force. Human Rights Watch says a treaty34 would help
to guarantee35
that this does not happen36.
The group says a ban on what it calls "killer robots" would be similar to37 current38 bans on the
use of landmines39
and cluster bombs40.
Some experts41 say that
all autonomous technology should be
discussed42. For example, France sent43 remote-controlled robots to Japan last
year to help contain44
the nuclear disaster45
at the Fukushima power center46.
This was a job47
that most people would agree48
was better left to machines49.
For VOA Learning English, I'm Alex Villarreal.
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Vocabulary
1. international rights group = Grupo de direitos internacionais
2. ban = banir, proibir
3. weaponized robots robôs transformados em arma
4. Human Rights = Direitos Humanos
5. Watch = Vigilância
6. released a report = Lançou um relatório
7. called = chamado
8. against = contra
9. warns = alerta
10. fully = totalmente
11. weapons = armas, armamentos
12. could increase the risk = poderia aumentar o risco
13. civilians = civis
14. during = durante
15. around the world = ao redor do mundo
16. Unmanned = não tripulados
17. Aerial Vehicles = Veículos aéreos
18. more and more = Cada vez mais
19. gather = reunem, juntam
20. identify targets = identificar alvos
21. fire = disparar
22. fears that = teme que
23. within = dentro de (espaço de tempo)
24. developments = desenvolvimentos
25. need = necessidade
26. United Kingdom = Reino Unido
27. Concerned = preocupado
28. will not be able = não serão capazes
29. tell = distinguir
30. between = entre
31. have stated = tem declarado
32. over = sobre
33. deadly = fatal
34. treaty = tratado
35. guarantee = garantir
36. happen = acontecer
37. similar to = semelhante a
38. current = atual
39. landmines = minas terrestres
40. cluster bombs = bombas de fragmentação
41. experts = especialistas
42. should be discussed = deveria ser discutido(a)
43. sent = enviou
44. contain = conter, controlar
45. nuclear disaster = desastre nuclear
46. power center = usina de energia
47. job = trabalho
48. would agree = concordaria
49. was better left to machines = era melhor ser deixado para as máquinas