Tech and the British Army: 'Nothing can do what a soldier can do'

Apparently, recent research shows a third (30%) of Brits say they think the Army may rely on robots for jobs in the future instead of humans. What do you make of this ad, which aims to make clear that despite the Army’s advancements in everything from cyber intelligence to robotics, soldiers will always be its most valuable asset. Is the imagery of robots just a bit too scary to convince us when we see the flesh and blood version reminding us of our fragility? Or is fragility exactly the point? The film, made to promote a platform which supports the British Army's recruitment efforts, shows an imagined, dystopian future, where a robotic soldier scouts the terrain of a conflict zone. Made of over 4,000 individual CGI elements and 2,000 sound design samples, it ends with a message that is clear textually - 'Nothing can do what a soldier can do' - but may not convince us overall without more substantiation. An Army spokesperson says that "no matter what technological advancements we make – it is the judgement, intelligence and even the wit of our soldiers that is indispensable to the future of the Army." Does the ad convince you?

Keywords: British Army recruitment, military technology, the Army of the future, armed forces and tech, role of humans in armed forces, Accenture Song, Capita