The New York Times Book Review - Thomas E. Ricks
One of the most interesting books on military affairs that I have read in some time…provides a thoughtful overview of the mind-boggling issues associated with autonomous weapons…Scharre handily explicates an extraordinary set of problems that we will only begin to understand as we see more of the weirder quirks and idiosyncrasies of high-speed artificial intelligence, a field we barely understand today.
Admiral James Stavridis
"Be very, very afraid. As this extraordinary book reveals, we are fast sailing into an era in which big life-and-death decisions in war will be made not by men and women, but by artificial intelligence. Are we prepared for the most fundamental shift in warfare in history? This illuminating book will dominate the discussion and analysis of this problem—and its execution in the field—for decades to come."
Amir Husain
"The era of autonomous weapons is upon us. In Army of None, Scharre combines his experience as a warrior and his insight as a policy researcher to paint a comprehensive picture of exactly what such an era will look like. He masterfully weaves together threads tying future weapon systems, artificial intelligence, and policy imperatives to deliver a book that is simply a must-read for anyone interested in military technology and its broader implications."
Foreign Affairs - Lawrence D. Freeman
"In this comprehensive analysis, Scharre moves beyond the clichés of 'killer robots.'"
War on the Rocks
"A sober, policy-focused primer on what is coming…written in an interesting and accessible manner."
Lawfare
"Army of None delivers what will likely be the most important general-audience book on this topic for at least the next decade."
Science
"[E]ngagingly detailed…Scharre offers an authoritative and sobering perspective on the automated battlefields that will very soon come to characterize military conflict."
Techcrunch
"A one-stop guide book to the debates, the challenges, and yes, the opportunities that can come from autonomous warfare."
P.W. Singer
"A tour de force of the future of war technology…A highly readable journey through the world of robots on the battlefield and beyond."
Bruce Schneier
"Technology democratizes. What was once the exclusive purview of nation-states quickly becomes accessible by everyone. Army of None serves as a smart primer to what’s to come in warfare, but also what we’re going to have to contend with in our daily lives soon after."
Task & Purpose
"A must-read for anyone interested in AI and the future of warfare."
Thomas E. Ricks
"One of the most interesting books on military affairs that I have read in some time."
Booklist
"[D]etailed, nuanced, open-minded look at an incredibly complex and technical subject…Army of None will spark important discussions as it empowers reader with knowledge about a subject with enormous implications."
Science
"[E]ngagingly detailed…Scharre offers an authoritative and sobering perspective on the automated battlefields that will very soon come to characterize military conflict."
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2018-03-14
Former Army Ranger Scharre, the director of the Future of War Initiative at the Center for a New American Security, looks at the technical, strategic, and ethical questions raised by autonomous weapons, which are closer to reality than many civilians may realize.Mechanical weapons go back at least as far as the Civil War-era Gatling gun, which was expected to save lives by allowing a small crew to replace many riflemen. It led instead to the mass slaughter of World War I, when machine guns mowed down thousands of attacking infantrymen. Today's drones allow air strikes without exposing pilots to enemy fire. But in those cases, human beings make the decision whether to fire. What happens if human judgment isn't part of the decision-making loop? The author lists several weapons that pose that question, including missiles that could be sent to a location where enemy ships are known to be in order to seek out targets to attack. While such weapons are currently feasible, most military establishments are reluctant to deploy them. There is the ethical issue about using lethal force without a human taking the responsibility of killing, and there is also the strategic dilemma about starting an arms race. The technical question of creating autonomous control systems is already being tackled by makers of everything from vacuum cleaners to self-driving cars. Can robot tanks or bombers be far behind? Scharre looks at all these issues, talking to experts from the Pentagon, international peace organizations, and the robotics scientists who are pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence. He also gives first-person reports on drone tests and other leading-edge technological developments. The author puts it all in the context of military history, including his own combat experience. While there are no firm conclusions, it is clear that autonomous weapons are on the horizon and that decisions about whether—and how—to use them will be critical factors in the future of warfare.A clear, well-written, and richly documented discussion of an issue that deserves deep and careful study.
