--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History is not going to look kindly on us…" description: "\"History is not going to look kindly on us if we just keep our head in the sand on armed autonomous robotics issue because it sounds too science fiction..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg" --- # History is not going to look kindly on us if we just keep… ![“History is not going to look kindly on us if we just keep our head in the sand on armed autonomous robotics issue because it sounds too science fiction.” quote by Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg) > “History is not going to look kindly on us if we just keep our head in the sand on armed autonomous robotics issue because it sounds too science fiction.” [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Neglecting ethical scrutiny of autonomous weapons will be judged harshly by future generations. **In simple terms:** Ignoring moral issues in AI weapons leads to bad history. Key Takeaway Address ethical concerns now. Themes ethics technology responsibility Mood concerned serious Type cautionary ethical When to use this quote - military planning - AI development - public debate - legislation Key Concepts autonomous weapons policy future history Questions to Reflect On - How will today’s decisions shape tomorrow’s moral landscape? - What safeguards can prevent misuse? A Different Perspective Future judgments may be influenced by current inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autonomous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autonomous/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Robotics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robotics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [There are a lot of weapons that we've developed which we've pulled back from - biological weapons, chemical weapons, etc. This may be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/there-are-a-lot-of-weapons-that-we-ve-developed-which-we-ve-pulled/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [One of the great things about the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, which my company iRobot designed, is that it's too cheap not to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-brooks/one-of-the-great-things-about-the-roomba-robot-vacuum-cleaner-which/) [Rodney Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-brooks/) > [Normally, in the presence of radiation, communication links fail. But with autonomous robots, you don't need communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-kumar/normally-in-the-presence-of-radiation-communication-links-fail-but/) [Vijay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-kumar/) > [After more than a decade as the editor of 'Wired' magazine, Chris Anderson started the company of his dreams - a robotics manufacturing company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/after-more-than-a-decade-as-the-editor-of-wired-magazine-chris/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [In my world of the people who study war and defense issues, we simply did not talk about robotics. We do not talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/in-my-world-of-the-people-who-study-war-and-defense-issues-we-simply/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [My fear is that that's what's going to happen with robotics and the military. Importantly, this discussion has to involve not just the scientists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/my-fear-is-that-that-s-what-s-going-to-happen-with-robotics-and-the/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [My personal fascination with the power of the crowd has been growing: Exactly what can a 'crowd' accomplish? We know crowds can raise billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/my-personal-fascination-with-the-power-of-the-crowd-has-been-growing/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [People in my organization were very outspoken about what we should be doing with the Department of Defense. One of them is work on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dean/people-in-my-organization-were-very-outspoken-about-what-we-should-be/) [Jeff Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dean/) > [“Autonomous people assert themselves against the status quo. They don't accept the prevailing opinion just because it's the one given to them. Nothing creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brito/autonomous-people-assert-themselves-against-the-status-quo-they-don-t/) Maria Brito > [The challenge in scoring a sequel is, how do you not get bored? The only way around that one is to go, "Okay, let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/the-challenge-in-scoring-a-sequel-is-how-do-you-not-get-bored-the/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [Before a leader can be accepted, let alone succeed, autonomous professionals must agree to be influenced by that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maister/before-a-leader-can-be-accepted-let-alone-succeed-autonomous/) [David Maister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maister/) > [“Last Wednesday Vince Cable, the UK business secretary, invited British cities to express their interest in being used as testing grounds for driverless cars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/last-wednesday-vince-cable-the-uk-business-secretary-invited-british/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [Autonomous vehicles, because they'll be able to operate at a lower cost, will be able to pull more consumers into the Lyft network. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zimmer/autonomous-vehicles-because-they-ll-be-able-to-operate-at-a-lower/) [John Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zimmer/) > [While much of modern behavioral and social science treats individuals as autonomous agents, it is absolutely clear that the way we think and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-r-nelson/while-much-of-modern-behavioral-and-social-science-treats-individuals/) Richard R. Nelson ## More by Peter Singer > [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Knowledge is generally considered a good thing; so, presumably, knowing more about how the U.S. thinks and operates around the world is also good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/knowledge-is-generally-considered-a-good-thing-so-presumably-knowing/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The price we are willing to pay for safety cannot be infinite. It is distasteful to put a price on human life, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-price-we-are-willing-to-pay-for-safety-cannot-be-infinite-it-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [ Nineteen thousand children \[are\] dying every day. Does it really matter that we're not walking past them in the street? Does it really matter… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/nineteen-thousand-children-are-dying-every-day-does-it-really-matter/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“The unchallenged assumption is that humans may use animals for their own purposes, and they may raise and kill them to satisfy their preference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-unchallenged-assumption-is-that-humans-may-use-animals-for-their/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Beginning to reason is like stepping onto an escalator that leads upward and out of sight. Once we take the first step, the distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/beginning-to-reason-is-like-stepping-onto-an-escalator-that-leads/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Population growth is not a reason against giving aid but a reason for reconsidering the kind of aid to give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/population-growth-is-not-a-reason-against-giving-aid-but-a-reason-for/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Well the real concept of basic needs if you cut it right down are simply the physical needs that are unavoidable for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/well-the-real-concept-of-basic-needs-if-you-cut-it-right-down-are/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Dairy farmers routinely remove calves from their mothers at an early age so that the milk will be available for humans; anyone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/dairy-farmers-routinely-remove-calves-from-their-mothers-at-an-early/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Attempts to defend amusement parks and circuses on the grounds that they 'educate' people about animals should not be taken seriously. Such enterprises are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/attempts-to-defend-amusement-parks-and-circuses-on-the-grounds-that/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“I argued against the view that the only obligation we have to strangers is to avoid harming them; but even if we were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-argued-against-the-view-that-the-only-obligation-we-have-to/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I believe that in this new world that we live in, we often have a responsibility, you know, to actually go beyond the thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-believe-that-in-this-new-world-that-we-live-in-we-often-have-a/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [It may be thought justifiable to require tests on animals of potentially life-saving drugs, but the same kinds of tests are used for products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/it-may-be-thought-justifiable-to-require-tests-on-animals-of/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) [Explore all 310 Peter Singer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) ## More Autonomous quotes > [While much of modern behavioral and social science treats individuals as autonomous agents, it is absolutely clear that the way we think and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-r-nelson/while-much-of-modern-behavioral-and-social-science-treats-individuals/) Richard R. Nelson > [Autonomous vehicles, because they'll be able to operate at a lower cost, will be able to pull more consumers into the Lyft network. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zimmer/autonomous-vehicles-because-they-ll-be-able-to-operate-at-a-lower/) [John Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zimmer/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [“Last Wednesday Vince Cable, the UK business secretary, invited British cities to express their interest in being used as testing grounds for driverless cars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/last-wednesday-vince-cable-the-uk-business-secretary-invited-british/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Before a leader can be accepted, let alone succeed, autonomous professionals must agree to be influenced by that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maister/before-a-leader-can-be-accepted-let-alone-succeed-autonomous/) [David Maister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maister/) > [The challenge in scoring a sequel is, how do you not get bored? The only way around that one is to go, "Okay, let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/the-challenge-in-scoring-a-sequel-is-how-do-you-not-get-bored-the/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [“Autonomous people assert themselves against the status quo. They don't accept the prevailing opinion just because it's the one given to them. Nothing creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brito/autonomous-people-assert-themselves-against-the-status-quo-they-don-t/) Maria Brito > [People in my organization were very outspoken about what we should be doing with the Department of Defense. One of them is work on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dean/people-in-my-organization-were-very-outspoken-about-what-we-should-be/) [Jeff Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dean/) > [My personal fascination with the power of the crowd has been growing: Exactly what can a 'crowd' accomplish? We know crowds can raise billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/my-personal-fascination-with-the-power-of-the-crowd-has-been-growing/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [The autonomous car is definitely coming, and when that stage comes, this ride-share business becomes even more important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/the-autonomous-car-is-definitely-coming-and-when-that-stage-comes/) [Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/) > [A song has a life of its own. It's an autonomous thing, separate from your own experience, almost. And the mere repetition of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/a-song-has-a-life-of-its-own-it-s-an-autonomous-thing-separate-from/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [We only want autonomous collaborators that are incentivized to make or break their own income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/we-only-want-autonomous-collaborators-that-are-incentivized-to-make/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [We don't know what the trajectory of autonomous or linked vehicles will be, and we don't have a clear understanding on what that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/we-don-t-know-what-the-trajectory-of-autonomous-or-linked-vehicles/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [If the ongoing struggles waged by young people are to matter, demonstrations and protests must give way to more sustainable organizations that develop alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/if-the-ongoing-struggles-waged-by-young-people-are-to-matter/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The modern world needs people with a complex identity who are intellectually autonomous and prepared to cope with uncertainty; who are able to tolerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-havighurst/the-modern-world-needs-people-with-a-complex-identity-who-are/) [Robert J. Havighurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-havighurst/) [Browse all 187 Autonomous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autonomous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History is not going to look kindly on us if we just keep our head in the sand on armed autonomous robotics issue because it sounds too science fiction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Singer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-us-if-we-just-keep-our-head-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Autonomous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-us-if-we-just-keep-our-head-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/peter-singer-1001_autonomous_history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-u_2331875.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History is not going to look kindly on us if we just keep our head in the sand on armed autonomous robotics…” — Peter Singer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Singer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "History is not going to look...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-us-if-we-just-keep-our-head-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/history-is-not-going-to-look-kindly-on-us-if-we-just-keep-our-head-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```