US Navy Seeking More Robot Ships
April 15, 2022
The US Navy plans to develop a fleet of robot ships operated by artificial intelligence, according to the Washington Post. The initiative, reportedly to counter China’s gains in antiship missile technology, might yield a more effective and cheaper way to increase US sea power while putting fewer sailors at risk. In Issues, Bruce Berkowitz surveys US plans for “unmanned maritime systems,” and he calls for government officials to promote discussion of policies covering their use. Adding urgency, he writes, other countries—and foreign companies—will likely build robot vessels, and US operations “will create precedents that other nations might cite.”