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"The world is really so surreal these days that it's necessary for us to blunt it somehow in order to stay sane. The artist functions to short-circuit the buffering mechanism, so that people can occasionally perceive the weirdness of things as they are."
- William Gibson
 |
| Bolo | ||
| An highly advanced combat tank controlled by a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. |
It should be noted that there are many different models and depictions of Bolos. Early version were just better, automated tanks. Later versions (the Mk. XXXI) are AI-controlled Supertanks that could shoot down orbiting targets. In contrast to the cliche of robots-hating humanity, Bolos are not only loyal to their makers, but are even more honorable and duty bound than their human commanders.
A quote from "Combat Unit" by Keith Laumer from "The Compleat Bolo", which is told from the First Person view of a Bolo:
| "My hull, my proud hull of chrome-duralloy, is pitted, coated with a crumbling layer of dull black paint, bubbled by corrosion. My main emplacements gape, black, empty. Rusting protuberances mar the once-smooth contour of my fighting turret...
"But I cannot lie idle under attack. I no longer have my great ion-guns, my disruptors, my energy screens; but I have my fighting instinct. " "A Mark XXXI Combat Unit is the finest fighting the ancient wars of the Galaxy have ever known. I am not easily neutralized..." |
| Technovelgy from Combat Unit,
by Keith Laumer. Published by Del Rey in 1960 Additional resources -
|
Thanks to Gatomon41, who provided the research and quote for this entry.
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- Ripsaw MS1 Like Laumer's Bolo
- Ethical Governor For Battlefield Robots
- Will OpenAI Have High Ethical Standards?
- Superior Morals For Autonomous Cars
- Keith Laumer's Bolo Autonomous Tanks Right On Schedule
- EA Created AI That Taught Itself To Play Battlefield
| Can A Swarm Of Deadly Drones Take Out An Aircraft Carrier? |
| Has Turkey Been Stealing Rain From Iran? |
| We Need To Build Anti-Drone Systems For Civilian Spaces |
| Bullet Steers Itself! The Advanced Low-Cost Munitions Ordnance ALaMO |
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