Boston Dynamics: please don't use our robots as weapons

[Alfonso Maruccia]

The big picture: The leading companies in the robotics industry want to dissuade people of turning harmless machines into weapons with killing intents. General-purpose robots equipped with powerful firearms could spell doom for the very future of the industry, they say.

A coalition of robotics companies led by Boston Dynamics published an open letter addressed to the rest of the industry and the public, lamenting the risk that "general purpose" robots could soon become a cheap and very effective weapon of mass destruction. An outlook to avoid, the letter says, because the very future of robotic technology could be jeopardized as a result.

The Open Letter to the Robotics Industry and our Communities is signed by Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics, and Unitree Robotics, emphasizing the benefits brought by modern robots to society. The six companies are busy introducing new generations of advanced mobile robotics to the world, the letter adds, making the autonomous devices more accessible, easier to operate, affordable and adaptable than previous generations.

These new robots can navigate into previous inaccessible locations, they will benefit the industry, and could be used as "companions" in people's homes. And yet, the letter concedes, the emergence of advanced mobile robots offers the possibility of misuse. New generation automatons could be used by "untrustworthy" people to invade civil rights or to threaten, to harm, or intimidate.

Robotics companies are particularly concerned about weaponization, with autonomous or remotely-controlled robots designed for industrial or rescue applications modified to carry weapons and turned into tools of destruction.

Adding firearms or other weapons to general purpose robots available to the public, raises "new risks of harm and serious ethical issues" the letter warns. The freshly-armed robots will also damage public trust in the technology thus threatening all the benefits robots could bring to society.

This anti-weaponization position has been expressed in the past, but according to the letter, there is increasing public concern caused by recent attempts "by a small number of people" to turn industrial and rescue robots into deadly assault and killing machines. Boston Dynamics and other companies have pledged not to weaponize their robots or the software they are based on, and they will certainly not support other people or organizations to do so.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/96248-boston-dynamics-please-dont-use-our-robots-weapons.html

 

[Vulcanproject]

The future of the armed forces are drones and robots. A huge number of them largely autonomous. Nice letter, nobody in the Pentagon cares. That's just the truth.

The war in Ukraine is possibly the first real taste of what a major battlefield looks like swarming with drones. There is no going back from this point.

 

[Nicromancer]

The problem is how do you stop your enemy (some other countries) from do so?
Don't get me wrong, I do think weaponizing AI / Robotics is a bad idea but it is impractical if the restriction is only applying to your own country.

 

[DSirius]

Funny "request" considering that Boston Dynamics were funded by DARPA and their biggest contractor is the Army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Dynamics
Horizon Zero Dawn game story raise some warning signals into what the future of Boston Dynamics can be.

 

[bviktor]

The definition of "lip service".

 

[bviktor]

Funny "request" considering that they were funded by DARPA and their biggest contractor is the Army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Dynamics
Horizon Zero Dawn game story raise some warning signals into what the future of Boston Dynamics can be.

Oh boy the story (and the whole game tbh) of Horizon is so effin great - and alarming indeed.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Any one seen the Movie Monsters of Man? Pretty good movie. 4 weaponized Robots go haywire and wipes out an entire SE Asia village by mistake.

As they say money talks BS walks.

 

[Nobina]

Boston Dynamics: please don't use our robots as weapons
US Army: OK
Russia: OK
China: OK
North Korea: OK

 

[DSirius]

Oh boy the story (and the whole game tbh) of Horizon is so effin great - and alarming indeed.

True, I am an RPG gamer and I consider Horizon Zero Down one of the best RPG games, also with one of the best game mechanics.

 

[DSirius]

Boston Dynamics: please don't use our robots as weapons
US Army: OK
Russia: OK
China: OK
North Korea: OK

And we can add:
World peace: KO.

 

[waclark]

I think the problem here is that we will want to use robots to go into places where they will need "weapons". It could be something as simple as a blade to hack through underbrush, but that's the thing about weapons. A knife is very useful for spreading butter on your toast, a pretty innocuous use case. But, a knife can also be used to stab someone in the face, so what do you do?

 

[TheBorgInva]

Reminds me of this video.

 

[RudyBob]

Yes. Send boys and girls instead.

 

[sol1109]

This letter is the equivalent of posting firearm free zone signs and will have the same effect,

 

[Hodor]

- Kids, the chocolate cake is in the fridge. Don't you dare to taste it.

- No worries mum...

 

[Uncle Al]

In the real universe this plead will go completely ignored. If they don't want their robots used in a certain way, they should simply get out of the business because the end user's are very clever and will find a way around any of their roadblocks. Best to continue the Ad campaign and not worry about the rest.