Those of us who aren't privy to weapons development secrets might be shocked to learn how advancements in robotics are changing the shape of the United States Armed Forces-and other armies around the world. More than 6,000 robots are already used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Astronomical amounts of money are being funneled into artificial intelligence research. While that can ultimately lead to less human risk for U.S. troops on the battlefield, can the threat of armed robots be used against us by terrorists?

Howard S. Smith, author of the new book "I, robot" (Robot Binaries and Press www.robotpress.net) is an MIT-trained engineer and artificial intelligence expert. His techno thriller is a modern update to the original "I, Robot" book written in the 1940's. Smith says while robotics can have innocuous applications, such as the supermarket self-checkout machines he helped create, the bulk of funding for artificial intelligence research is not directed towards consumers. Instead, the focus is on developing new weapons and tools for the military.

"Hundreds of billions of dollars are going into military applications, with virtually no money for consumer applications," says Smith. "The idea of a robot walking your dog or washing your windows might be appealing but it's still far-fetched. However, a robotic Army is not. And, don't expect those Hollywood-created versions of robotic soldiers. The robots you've seen in movies aren't necessarily what the military's creating."

The military currently uses Predator aircraft drones and bomb-defusing robots; both of which have undoubtedly saved countless lives of U.S. troops. While definite improvements over military weapons of yesteryear, these robots still require a human at the controls. But the latest advancements in military robotics and artificial intelligence are aimed at cutting out the middleman, i.e. removing the human factor from the decision making. That's right; the military is creating weapons that will ultimately 'decide' whether to fire weapons. And that dramatically raises the stakes for the military and for civilians.

"These robots can take the place of troops in dangerous missions," says Smith. "In that sense, they are an appealing tool. But you have to look at the drawbacks. How do you equip a robot with a conscience? Can we be certain that robots can distinguish between an armed enemy and a curious child? These are serious questions that must be addressed before these autonomous robots become standard gear for the military."

The U.S. is not alone in its quest for robotic weapons. Other nations, such as China, Israel and Russia are reportedly developing unmanned military robotics. This high-tech arms race has many AI experts wondering if any international agreement will be created to draft a code of ethics for use of robotic weapons.

"As we become more accustomed to these robots, we will ultimately give them more control," says Smith. "Our leaders must make smart, ethical decisions about these 'thinking' weapons. We grew up watching The Jetsons and when their futuristic world of incredible inventions never materialized we chalked it all up to fantasy. Well, we may not have George Jetson's flying car but we definitely have robots. They are here now, on the battlefield, and these machines will change our world."

About Howard S. Smith: Howard S. Smith has a degree in Biomedical engineering from MIT. He was the founder and president of Optimal Robotics, which patented, designed, built, and installed the supermarket self-checkout machines, which were originally called "service robots." He left the company before it went public on NASDAQ in 1996. The company eventually sold the self-checkout robotics to Fujitsu and NCR, purchased other companies and changed its name to Optimal Group. Smith currently offers consulting services in the area of robotics and artificial intelligence through Robot Binaries and Press Corp.