“Americans oppose the use of autonomous military robots that can kill absent a direct command from a human operator, according to a new University of Massachusetts-Amherst poll. Autonomous weapons or, as their critics call them, “killer robots,” are becoming less science fiction and more military reality. Though the United States military, by far the world’s most robotically advanced, has placed a moratorium on the development of autonomous robots, the technology is easily within reach. Concern about these weapons has grown as the technology has become more feasible, most famously producing both an organized campaign to ban so-called killer robots and a UN report echoing the campaign’s concerns.” By Zack Beauchamp-Thinkprogress.org
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key
SWORDS, a previous generation of weaponized robots, had its combat duties curtailed when it made movements without being given a command. (Photo- QinetiQ)
Excerpt: So What Exactly Is a ‘Killer Robot’? By Rose Eveleth, The Atlantic
“For as long as we’ve been able to make robots, we’ve been worried about them killing us.
In 1942, Isaac Asimov published a short story called Runaround that both coined the term “robotics “and introduced the idea of robots killing humans. Last week, one company set out to assure people that it, too, was worried about this potential threat. Clearpath Robotics announced that it would take a stand against killer robots. “To the people against killer robots: we support you,” the company’s press release reads.
Yes, the organized campaign against killer robots has gained momentum as the technology and militarization of robotics has advanced, and the smartest thing the movement has done is pick its name. “Killer robots” still isn’t a well-defined term, but it’s clearly a winning one.
Autonomous robotic systems have indeed come a long way since Asimov. Far enough that, in 2012, Human Rights Watch issued a report making the case against lethal autonomous weapons systems—weapons that can make lethal decisions without human involvement. Except they didn’t call them “lethal autonomous weapons systems.” The title of the report was “Losing Humanity: The Case Against Killer Robots.”
ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post
Level: Intermediate – Advanced
Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.
Time: Approximately 2 hours.
Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video clip.
Objective: Students will read and discuss the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and learning new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through group work and writing.
I. Pre-Reading Activities
Brainstorming
Directions: Place students in groups, ask students to think about what they already know about the topic. Next, have students look at the picture(s) in the text and generate ideas or words that may be connected to the article. Review as a class and list these ideas on the board. Students can use the UIE brainstorming chart (sample) 
II. While Reading Tasks
Word Inference
Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Word Chart by Freeology for assistance.
- In 1942, Isaac Asimov coined the term “robotics”.
- Last week, one company set out to assure people that it, too, was worried about this potential threat.
- The organized campaign against killer robots has gained momentum.
- The technology and militarization of robotics has advanced.
- Autonomous robotic systems have indeed come a long way.
- Some robots have weapons and can make lethal decisions without human involvement.
- Some believe it’s shameless campaigning and advocacy.
- There’s reluctance to pin down a single definition.
- Different organizations have distinct goals about what discussion of killer robots might yield.
- For now, this nebulous mass of robotic entities that could kill or harm humans has a name without a solid definition.
Vocabulary Chart by Freeology.
Reading Comprehension
True /False/NA-Statements
Directions: Review the following statements from the reading. If a statement is true they mark it T. If the statement is not applicable, they mark it NA. If the statement is false they mark it F and provide the correct answer.
- For as long as we’ve been able to make robots, we’ve never been worried about them killing us.
- In 1942, Isaac Asimov coined the term robotics.
- The company Clearpath Robotics announced that it would take a stand against killer robots.
- The technology and militarization of robotics has not advanced.
- More companies are installing robots in the workforce.
- In 2012, Human Rights Watch issued a report making the case against lethal autonomous weapons.
- Robot are being used as companions for the elderly.
- Mary Wareham is the creator of workforce robots.
- Everybody defines “killer robot” the same way.
- There’s reluctance to pin down a single definition.
Grammar Focus
Structure and Usage
Directions: The following groups of sentences are from the article. One of the sentences in each group contains a grammatical error. Students are to identify the sentence (1, 2, or 3 ) from each group that contains the grammatical error.
I
- One company was also worry about this potential threat.
- “Killer robots” still isn’t a well-defined term.
- Autonomous robotic systems have come a long way.
II
- We put killer robots in the title of us report to get attention.
- It’s shameless campaigning and advocacy.
- Killer robots seemed to be a good way to begin the dialogue.
III
- Naming weapons and missions like this isn’t new.
- For some a killer robot is an robot that can make a decision to use lethal force without human intervention.
- There’s reluctance to pin down a single definition.
III. Post Reading Tasks
Reading Comprehension Check
Graphic Organizers: Finding the main idea
Directions: Have students use this graphic organizer from Enchanted Learning to assist them with discussing or writing about the main points from the article. 
Discussion/Writing Exercise
Directions: Place students in groups and have them answer the following questions. Afterwards, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the following discussion topics.
1. How would you put the following two statements from the article into your own words?
“Mary Wareham, coordinator of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, admits it was a bit much. We put killer robots in the title of our report to be provocative and get attention… It’s shameless campaigning and advocacy, but we’re trying to be really focused on what the real life problems are, and killer robots seemed to be a good way to begin the dialogue.”
“Naming weapons and missions like this isn’t new. The LGM-118A Peacekeeper was a missile that could carry up to 3,000 kilotons of warheads. Israel Aerospace Industries makes a missile named Gabriel, named for the angel. A 2006 Israeli mission to bomb South Lebanon was named Mivtza Sachar Holem, Operation Just Reward. When the United States invaded Iraq they called the program Operation Iraqi Freedom. Researcher Charles Kauffman argues that as our weapons get more and more powerful, our names for them get more and more demure, to soften the idea of the damage they could do. But if you’re in the market of making a weapon seem evil, killer robot is effective.”
2. From this article do you think we should fear military robots?
3.What are the most significant ideas in this article?
IV. Listening Activity
Video clip: As Robotics Advances, Worries of Killer Robots Rise
Jody williams is the head of a campaign to ban autonomous robots. The following video clip explains why this is important to the coalition.
Pre-listening Activity
Listening for new Vocabulary
Directions: Here is a list of words from the video. Have students find the meanings before they listen to the video. After, as students listen, they are to check off the words as they hear them.
coalition, drones, autonomously, efficient , Phalanx, turret, conscious, glitches
While Listening Activity
Sentence Fill-ins
Directions: Students listen for the correct word or phrase to complete the sentences taken from the video. They are to choose from the options presented.
- The UK wants to ban/burn killer robots.
- The campaign to stop killer robots is a reap/real world wide organization.
- It sounds kind of dumb/numb when you first hear the name.
- The campaign is a global coal/coalition started by 22 organizations
- The idea is to ban drones/thrones and other robots which can autonomously decide to kill an enemy and act on that decision without a human giving the go ahead.
- Governments are going to find/fine fully automated systems more and more attractive.
- They seem cheaper, they seem more efficient there would supposedly be less/least chance of fatal mistakes being made.
- Right now the closest/closet thing we have to an autonomous weapon is probably the Phalanx system which is this turret on U.S. and British naval ships.
- The only thing they can’t do autonomously is fire until a human/humane operator gives them the go ahead.
- The coalition is worry/worried about what happens when a human conscious is removed from the equation and just how fatal glitches in a system like that can be.
Post-Listening Activities
Questions for Discussion
Directions: Place students in groups and have them discuss the following questions.
1. After listening to this video has your personal idea of killer robots changed in any way? If yes, describe in what way. If no, describe your original opinion.
2. Did you agree with everything the speaker said? Discuss which comments you agreed with and which ones you tended not to agree with. Explain why.
3. With your group members, make a list of situations where “autonomous” robots might be dangerous and areas where they might be useful to humans.
ANSWER KEY: Killer robots
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