Robot Soldiers -- Skynet, Doomsday Phobias, or a Really Good Idea?

A recent article on Yahoo News discusses the new face of warfare, and it is anything but human. Robot warriors, from remotely operated flying drones to ground fighters that serve alongside their living brethren, are the new reality. The article discusses the close-knit bond that many soldiers develop with their robot buddies--naming them, risking their lives to save them, and even holding military funerals for the fallen.

For a generation raised on films such as Star Wars and, more recently, Wall-E, the love between man and machine is understandable; perhaps even expected. Yet many see a darker future, one that is much more Terminator than Short Circuit. The concept of virtually sentient humanoids can trigger phobias ranging from automatonophobia to doomsday phobia.

I think the new technology is a terrific idea, but like any new development, there is the possibility of abuse. Who is in charge? What controls are in place? What happens when "the enemy" (of course, who the enemy is in the first place depends on your perspective) develops the same technology? Perhaps these are the questions that we should be asking now.