ABSTRACT
Automated weapons seek targets and attack them on their own once sent into action. Killer robots are an example, which raises many ethical issues. Thus, equipped with face recognition programs and taking the form of innocent-looking birds, they enable targeted assassinations. And, as a flock, they can decimate a tank brigade. Scientists in China have cloned two bouncing baby monkeys, theoretically opening the door to cloning of humans. However, the researchers stressed that they have no intention of doing so. Therefore, though cloning of humans does not endanger humankind, it does not provide significant benefits, other than better understanding of important biological processes. It follows that inhibiting of cloning of humans is a matter of values, though talk that it impairs ‘human dignity’ may be more of an emotional reaction than a philosophically sound argument.
