LOCKERBIE author Christopher Lincoln-Jones is gearing up for the release of his latest novel later this month.
His new gripping military thriller ‘Dr Moore’s Automation’ follows a talented and introverted programmer who is enlisted by the Ministry of Defence to help build autonomous vehicles, but finds himself in the line of fire when use of the machines leads to devastating outcomes.
Since leaving military service, where he spent 25 years as a military officer and 15 years as a reservist, Christopher has lectured on ethics in applying lethal force on the University of South Wales’ MSc course in international governance and has been the military advisor of several independant films and this this what inspired his new book.
He explained: “I advised on the film ‘Eye in the Sky’ and had been part of the Birmingham University Conflict Resolution Group as a SME. The report they wrote has a section on Lethal Autonomous Weapons (LAWS), stating that there would always be a “human in the loop”. I doubt this will be true.
“At the party after the film premiered, the director and screenwriter asked me what the next “thing” would be. I replied, “LAWS”. Having explained what it meant, they said they’d direct and write the film! “That started the long process of research and writing that culminated in Dr Moore’s Automaton.
“It considers a critical issue of our time, delving into the complex web of responsibility involved in the development of autonomous vehicles, and the human toll of technological advancement.”
Dr Moore’s Automaton is due to be published on January 28.
