Bot Platforms And the Race For Nation-State Advantage

Hardware and software bots may be the assets that determine future nation-state advantage. But, as the following article explains, there are issues - and they're not merely technological. JL

John Robb comments in Global Guerrillas:

The most important thing for nation-state militaries (US, China, Russia, EU, and India) to understand about bots (both hardware and software) is that it's imperative to get the underlying platforms and standards correct first, before we waste billions on standalone systems.
Bots will transform warfare, from guerrilla warfare to conventional state conflict.
Before I get to how bots will enable the automation of terrorism (a truly transformational development), let me spend a bit of time on how it will transform nation-state militaries.
The most important thing for nation-state militaries (US, China, Russia, EU, and India) to understand about bots (both hardware and software) is that it's imperative to get the underlying platforms and standards correct first, before we waste billions on standalone systems.
These platforms include:

• Cloud based learning/sharing for bots.  When any bot learns something, it can then share that "understanding" with every other bot connected to the cloud.
• Decentralized standards for physical and logical interconnections between bots (NASA is working on this right now for drones, but the FAA and state DMVs are doing their best to hold the US back).
• Big Sim and Real World Sandboxes for training and teaching autonomous bots for use in the field.  From crowd training/turking to mission certification.

PS:  Incidentally, the nation-state that is able to set these platforms into motion first, is likely to get the same five year economic, security & technological headstart the US enjoyed with the emergence of the Internet.