The USA’s First Lady gave a speech evoking the robot uprising of the Terminator films when she spoke to marines, saying AI will transform war more than any technology since nuclear weapons
Melania Trump has delivered a ‘dystopian’ speech to soldiers and their loved ones, saying AI-powered ‘machines’ will replace them on the battlefield. The wife of US President Donald Trump evoked scenes of the Terminator films when she said humans would be ‘overseers’ in wars waged by artificial intelligence.
First Lady Melania made the apocalyptic prediction when talking to marines and their families in North Carolina on Wednesday. “Artificial intelligence is propelling America’s military into a new era. We are moving from human operators to human overseers – fast,” she said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“The shift from soldiers to machines is already underway. Autonomous helicopters, swarming drones, and recon aircraft are here now. Fighter-less jets and autonomous bombers are on the way.”
Melania said AI would transform warfare in a way not seen since the advent of nuclear weapons, adding: “To win the AI war, we must train our next generation, for it’s America’s students who will lead the Marine Corps in the future.
“Technology is changing the art of war… AI will alter war more profoundly than any technology since nuclear weapons.
“The most significant change will be speed. Speed in weaponry, decision-making, detection, attack, and defense. Artificial intelligence will take centre stage in the theatre of war, it already plays a meaningful role on the battlefield.
“Of course, it is the Marine who will always play the most critical role in realizing mission success.”
Melania’s speech polarised opinion on social media, with some users likening it to the Terminator franchise, which envisages humans fighting against a robot uprising.
“Trailer for the new Terminator spin-off,” one user said on X, while another posted: “Is this speech supposed to be dystopian?”
A third said: “Whattt? She actually told soldiers they are being replaced by robots?”
But others said the AI warfare revolution was already happening, with one posting: “This isn’t dystopian, it’s reality. It’s happening now.”
Others highlighted that soldiers might actually welcome the news, as they would potentially be in less danger with machines doing the dirty work on the front lines.
Meanwhile, terminator-style bots are turning us into “trigger-happy” loons on the battlefield, a top UN tech boffin warned recently.
Amandeep Singh Gill says deadly drones are driving up war casualties because we become desensitised to killing. Their use has soared during the conflict in Ukraine, and in Israel’s Gaza campaign.
UN tech envoy Mr Singh Gill told a summit that “putting some distance between humans and the taking of life on the battlefield” makes certain countries “more trigger-happy.”
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