Wired for War

The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century

By: P. W. Singer

Narrated by: William Hughes

Length: 20 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

A military expert reveals how science fiction is fast becoming reality on the battlefield, changing not just how wars are fought, but also the politics, economics, laws, and ethics that surround war itself.

Singer’s previous books foretold the rise of private military contractors and the advent of child soldiers - predictions that have proved all too accurate. Now he explores the greatest revolution in military affairs since the atom bomb: robotic warfare.

We are now seeing a massive shift in military technology that threatens to make the stuff of I, Robot and The Terminator a reality. Over seven thousand robotic systems are now in Iraq; pilots in Nevada are remotely killing terrorists in Afghanistan; scientists are debating just how smart - and lethal - to make their current prototypes; and many renowned science fiction authors are secretly consulting for the Pentagon.

Blending historic evidence with interviews from the field, Singer vividly shows that as these technologies multiply, they will have profound effects on both the front lines and the politics back home. Replacing men with machines may save some lives but will lower morale and psychological barriers to killing. The “warrior ethos,” which has long defined soldiers’ identity, will erode, as will the laws of war that have governed military conflict for generations.

Paradoxically, the new technology will also bring war to our doorstep. As other nations and terrorist organizations obtain their own robotic weapons, the robot revolution could undermine America’s military preeminence. While his analysis is unnerving, there’s an irresistible gee-whiz quality to the innovations Singer uncovers.

©2009 P. W. Singer (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“This book is awesome.” (Jon Stewart, The Daily Show)

“P. W. Singer has written what is likely to be the definitive work on this subject for some time…It is riveting and comprehensive, encompassing every aspect of the rise of military robotics, from the historical to the ethical.” ( Financial Times)

“Robotics promises to be the most comprehensive instrument of change in war since the introduction of gunpowder.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Techno-Sprawl: A Dissenting Opinion

I might have given this work four stars, if others hadn't. The author has done an enormous amount of valuable reporting and brought together a big picture of many critical technical issues affecting the future of war, focusing mainly but not exclusively on robotics. I share his pessimism about the trends, and appreciate his willingness to examine the moral issues from many different sides. His description of the "cubicle warriors" who now operated our growing drone fleets is very eye-opening. However, the book sprawls. Many sections might have been better at half the length. Some begin to sound like a laundry list of projects, machines, and acronyms. Themes repeat or overlap. No merciless editor sat at his elbow. For example, his analysis of how information technology allows generals to micromanage tactics at a distance is very interesting. But we get it. The section goes on, largely repeating the same idea and the word "micromanage" in various ways, while adding little. More seriously, I felt there was a missing level of analysis, though knowing little about the topic, I'm not sure what it is. There is, for example, little or nothing about the early use of computers and cybernetics, which become necessary for antiaircraft tracking. And little about the revolutionary effects of cell phones and laptops on guerilla war. Or on cyberwar, though that is perhaps a separate topic. The author is a war historian and journalist, and does not seem to be developing his ideas out of any underlying theory of technology or science. (American historians and journalists are largely trained to eschew "big theory.") I am not sure that he even clearly defines information theory, AI, and robotics as subsets of technology. One of the interesting scientific asides that never really goes anywhere is the battery as weak link, something every laptop user knows. He mentions it in the context of the Iraq War, but then does not really develop the implications. His coverage of media and "interface" technologies is weak. You can't do everything. But if human beings have a role in our new data-driven world, it really ought to be to reduce bins of information through critical abstraction, we need a few less colorful factoids and a little more theory.

Amazing!!

This book is one of the most important book I ever finished. It is little old to talk about technology when I read, but it surpass its date and touch long in the future of humanity. It pins point all necessary discussion about Technology for War on Robotics, and amaze me with all sorts of conclusions and data.

Very Comprehensive

Comprehensive enlightenment of the robotic, unmanned age of military weaponry. What is especially interesting is after this book I read Skunkworks, a book composed by Lockheed Martin executives in the 1990s & the end of this book they made projections about the future of the military from their 1990 eyes; you guessed it, unmanned vehicles, unmanned jets, etc.
The danger however of an overweighted robotics military are 1 radio frequency bomb could render an entire fleet of robotic weaponry useless & these robotics also are at risk of becoming hacked & used against friendlys. Very necessary, but a strong military should have many contingencies in place for the worst case scenarios.

Informative and makes you think

The book is informative, interesting and lays out the pros and cons of unmanned systems as well as the implications towards current and future conflicts.

Interesting but scope is too deep

This was an interesting read, but the book is extremely long and covers too many topics. I remember at one point the author talks about world hunger, which makes me question the true takeaway from the reading. Also, technology has evolved so much since 2010, so the book is very dated.

interesting

wired for war is a week rounded book that sells be only to chronicle the advent if robot warfare but to ascertain the morals of their use.

Excellent but already a little out of date

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is an excellent and comprehensive book on robot technology for military applications. Covers all aspects of military robots, from the affect it has on individual soldiers to the concept of war in general. Excellent book but already a little out of date which is a testament to how quickly this technology is moving.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator is OK but mispronounces some words, which is annoying but not a major problem. I feel that unless they really suck, all audio books should be read by their authors.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I didn't want to turn it off, it was interesting throughout.

Exceeded expectations

In addition to the expected discussion of AI weapon systems, this book delved a lot deeper into things I had not even considered. For example, there were discussions of ethics, human reactions to AI systems, implications for society, humanity, and cultures, legal quagmires, doctrinal impacts, sociopolitical impacts and so on. Quite insightful and the author clearly has spent a lot of time thinking these issues through.

Excellently thought-provoking!

Exceptional book that makes you think about the real life relationship between science fiction and science fact!

weird pronunciations

What did you love best about Wired for War?

The theme of the book. How autonomous systems are changing the entire landscape of warfare

What other book might you compare Wired for War to and why?

"How Everything became War and the Military became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon." The overarching reach of the military into all sorts of dimensions of our lives. Also think it reminds me of "Life 3.0" or "SuperIntellilgence" which are both about artificial intelligence and its impact on our societies and lives

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Some really strange pronunciation of the terms: "SIPRnet," "c-RAM," and "OODA "

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sort of. I don't think I've ever done that. This was a good book on my commute... so 30-45 minute intervals :)

Any additional comments?

N/A