![]() That’s not a huge surprise, since Boston Dynamics largely got its start with funding from the military, along with the controversial Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). There’s a catch - This oath doesn’t seem to apply to the devices used by military and police officials. The Spot robot from Boston Dynamics has appealed to law enforcement officials in recent years. “We believe that adding weapons to robots that are remotely or autonomously operated, widely available to the public, and capable of navigating to previously inaccessible locations where people live and work, raises new risks of harm and serious ethical issues,” they add. While the letter notes that “advanced mobile robots will provide great benefit to society as co-workers in industry and companions in our homes,” the automation giants do point out the potential for mistreatment. These include Agility Robotics, which is working on a hyped-up humanoid called Digit (that will come with a face and hands). What’s new - In an open letter published last week, six major robotics companies have promised not to weaponize their publicly available devices and software - and not to support anyone doing so - as originally reported by Axios. Now, Boston Dynamics and other robotics companies seem eager to clean up their image. ![]() It’s also possible for ordinary people to use commercially available robots for evil: This summer, a Russian man terrified the internet when he slapped a gun onto a Unitree dogbot. Last year, public concern forced the NYPD to retire a Spot model that they called Digidog. Some experts worry that the AI programmed into these robots could target people of color or use excessive violence. Spot and other roving autonomous bots developed in recent years have received lots of criticism as they’ve been increasingly embraced by law enforcement officials. ![]() The company has even programmed Spot to dance to K-pop. You may have seen clips of the creepy, dog-like robot from Boston Dynamics called Spot that can traverse rough terrains, map its environment, and grab you a drink, among other skills.
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