Skynet Part I: Skynet has been watching you for over 2 years

Welcome to the future

Most everyone has some sort of knowledge about Skynet, the computer program that eventually led to the war between humans & machines in the Terminator movies and TV shows. The concept of a self aware and artificially intelligent computer network is quite terrifying, but it may soon become a staple in networks across the world.  There are a couple projects being researched and developed that all hold a piece of the Skynet puzzle, not to mention an actual system named Skynet that is currently in operation.  So while Skynet in the Terminator universe was merely fiction, reality is just as alarming.  Of course these new systems are meant to help society operate better, faster and stronger, but the worst actions often have the best intentions.  Part 1 of 2 is below.

The UK Skynet

First we will focus on the Skynet 5 system, used by the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.  Skynet 5 is a collection of three satellites (Skynet 5a, 5b & 5c), that were launched between March 2007 and June 2008.  The primary task for this system is high speed, real-time data communications for use within the British military.  Although reliable communication is vital for and military to operate efficiently, there are a few aspects of the Skynet system that could potentially be disastrous for humans.

1) Skynet 5 is capable of much more than voice communication.
Military satellites used only for voice communication purposes are a thing of the past and advanced armies now expect much more.  Therefore the Skynet 5 system is designed to handle much more than voice communication.

"Skynet 5 is about two-and-a-half-times more capable than the previous system, and it also gives us the ability to use not just voice communication but also data communication," explains Patrick Wood from spacecraft manufacturer EADS Astrium.  "So, computers can talk directly to computers, as well giving us pictures and real-time video images."  Commands are sent over Skynet 5's high-bandwidth connections, directing the robot's every move. This includes firing missiles at enemy targets.

The data communications part of Skynet 5 is what could cause problems.  It is meant to be able to control drones and other unmanned military equipment remotely.  While the drones are meant to be controlled by a human sitting at a Skynet control system, anything with access to the system will be able to control anything linked to Skynet 5.  Since the entire British military machine is under the umbrella of Skynet 5, anyone (or anything) with an approved connection could do as they please with the British armed forces.  Should artificial intelligence ever be introduced into Skynet 5, a robotic rampage cannot be far behind.

2) If humans lose control of Skynet 5, they may not be able to regain control.
Skynet 5 was designed to protect itself should an outside force attempt to listen to it's communications, take control of it or shut it down.  This digital armor is meant to make sure the correct people are in charge at all times.  If Skynet 5 detects any kind of outside meddling or influence, it is able to shut out the bad signals while still operating for its owner as it should.  So with all these safeguards what could possibly go wrong?  The current assumption towards systems like this is that humans will always control it and make the final decision, but what if the system itself determines that any human control is a violation?  It will be able to shut out all human input and operate as it sees fit.  Suddenly all the unmanned military robots in Skynet's control will have zero human influence.  With humans seen as an intruder, Skynet 5 may decide to eliminate what it perceives as a threat and there is nothing that could be done to reestablish human authority.  Sound familiar?

3) Skynet 5 is not owned or operated by the British military.
The entire Skynet project is funded by the UK Ministry of Defense, but ownership of the system falls to a private corporation - Paradigm Secure Communications.  A military setup of this magnitude should be owned by the group using it, since rogue elements inside Paradigm could use Skynet 5 for their own purposes.  Paradigm could also have access to incredibly sensitive information on top of the power of tweaking Skynet 5 to suit their personal goals.  I don't want to accuse Paradigm of anything, but I am always suspicious of private entities with too much control over a military's equipment and resources.  A lot of money and power are involved, and those two often combine into corruption and deceit.  Below are a few promotional videos about Skynet 5 from Paradigm.

So does the Skynet 5 system spell doom for mankind?  Probably not yet, considering artificial intelligence is not yet to a point of absolute self awareness.  The future is much more grim though, as part 2 will show.

::from BBC::