Real Stories

Maria Pia

My name is Maria Pia and I am from Argentina. I’ve been involved in disarmament since…forever. I studied political science, international relations and economics. I work locally in alliance with local NGOs, regionally with SEHLAC, and globally with networks in humanitarian disarmament field – in particular with Stop Killer Robots. The most important thing in the world is the happiness of my family and friends.

Targeted advertising, bank loan approvals, predictive policing… autonomy in weapons, automation is increasingly becoming part of our lives. What types of digital dehumanisation are you most worried about and why?

There’s no doubt that technology brings a lot of benefits and can make life easy, but there is always a “but”! The loss of privacy from one side and the future loss of many job positions is highly worryingly. On the other side, the growing autonomy in weapons completely changes warfare, transforming it in a total dehumanization.

Technology isn’t intrinsically good or bad. How do we stand up for technology that benefits humanity whilst preventing harm or unintended consequences?

Besides the international initiatives like “AI for Good” or UNESCO efforts, each country in the world should develop ethical principles for their use and national plans should be develop and implemented.

What do you think our relationship with technology will look like in 5/10/20 years and how much power do we have to influence this?

We will not be able to anything – study, work, bureaucratic procedures like renewing the driver’s license – without the interaction with technology. It is on us to determine how we learn to live with it from a philosophical point of view.

Do you believe that individuals can make a difference?

People are always the ones who make the difference. Each of us in our context and primary relationships can be the difference. There are some people that have a lot of influence on others; they have the responsibility in how they use their influence.

When did you first learn about killer robots, and what did you think?

I am involved in disarmament for many years now, and from the very beginning I’ve learned about killer robots. But, to be honest, I didn’t understand the issue and the implications until I was more involved in this campaign.

The 2020’s have been a little rough so far. What gives you hope?

Resilience.

Why are you part of the Stop Killer Robots movement?

The feeling of belonging to a big family looking for a better world.