War in the Age of Intelligent MachinesIn the aftermath of the methodical destruction of Iraq during the Persian Gulf War, the power and efficiency of new computerized weapons and surveillance technology have become chillingly apparent. For Manuel DeLanda, however, this new weaponry has a significance that goes far beyond military applications; he shows how it represents a profound historical shift in the relation of human beings both to machines and to information. The recent emergence of intelligent and autonomous bombs and missiles equipped with artificial perception and decision-making capabilities is, for Delanda, part of a much larger transfer of cognitive structures from humans to machines in the late twentieth century.War in the Age of Intelligent Machines provides a rich panorama of these astonishing developments; it details the mutating history of information analysis and machinic organization from the mobile siege artillery of the Renaissance, the clockwork armies of the Thirty Years War, the Napoleonic campaigns, and the Nazi blitzkrieg up to present-day cybernetic battle-management systems and satellite reconnaissance networks. Much more than a history of warfare, DeLanda's account is an unprecedented philosophical and historical reflection on the changing forms through which human bodies and materials are combined, organized, deployed, and made effective.Manuel DeLanda has published essays on philosophy and film theory. He is a computer programmer and a film artist.A Swerve Edition, distributed for Zone Books |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Collision Course | 11 |
Bloodless Transfusion | 127 |
Copyright | |
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abstract machines Alan Turing allowed analysis armies ARPANET Artificial Intelligence artillery assemblage assembled attractors automata autonomous weapons ballistic battle battlefield became become began behavior bifurcations calculation capable chaos chapter chemical clocks chip civilian clockwork command system communications complex components computer display computer networks cooperation created critical points demons devices effects enemy engineers evolution evolved example expert systems explored fire flow forces friction hackers hardware human Ibid instance integrated intelligence interact interface involved Jominian logical logistic loop machine vision machinic phylum mathematical mechanical messages military missile modern motor needed nomads nuclear operations organization patterns phase physical Prisoner's Dilemma problem produced projectile radar robot role scientists simulate singularities soldiers specific strategy structure tactical target task techniques threshold tion trajectories turbulence Turing machine war games war machine warfare World World War II