Posted on 10/06/2022 7:30:47 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Boston Dynamics and five other robotics companies have signed an open letter saying what many of us were already nervously hoping for anyway: Let's not weaponize general-purpose robots.
The six leading tech firms — including Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree — say advanced robots could result in huge benefits in our work and home lives but that they may also be used for nefarious purposes.
"Untrustworthy people could use them to invade civil rights or to threaten, harm, or intimidate others," the companies said.
"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 added.
The firms pledged not to weaponize their "advanced-mobility general-purpose robots" or the software that makes them function. They also said they would try to make sure their customers didn't weaponize the companies' products.
The companies said they don't take issue with "existing technologies" that governments use to "defend themselves and uphold their laws."
According to Boston Dynamics' website, police and fire departments are using the company's dog-like robot Spot to assess risky situations, but the firm says Spot is not designed for surveillance or to replace police officers.
There have been growing calls across the globe to curb the use of autonomous weapons systems — which operate on their own and don't involve a human operator — and the Stop Killer Robots campaign says nearly 100 countries and a majority of people oppose autonomous weapons.
But a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons last year failed to reach a consensus governing the use of so-called killer robots, due in part to objections from countries working on such technologies including the U.S, the UK and Russia, CNBC reported.
Wussies!
All of them are fools if they think that is gonna work.
People will weaponize them whether the creators like it or not.
Drones have already been weaponized, and everything else will be too.
Really? Maybe you're just hysterically overreacting and need to cut back on the java.
OTOH you might be a bunch of Captain Obvious type characters.
They won’t.
Others will.
See “Runaway”.
Well as long as they “pledged” not to weaponize them. And we all know we can trust the government never to use it against citizens who exercise their first and second amendment rights.
oh sure, just like the gay crowd vowed never to go after those who oppose their lifestyles- they just wanted to ‘be happy and married, that’s all’ - yeah right
And Google pledged to “Do No Evil”.
Once people own the technology they can do whatever they want with it. Off the shelf drones available in department stores are meant for the recreation of enthusiasts who should obey FAA regulations. In actuality they are being weaponized and used by both sides in the Ukraine war. What’s to stop terrorists and sleeper cells from doing the same thing here and attack packed open stadiums? Anyone confident that Merrick Garland’s FBI when not not investigating and raiding the homes of MAGA supporters, school board protesters and pro life activists is monitoring and arresting real bad guys?
Some?
😀😁😂😂🤣🤣😃😄🙄😏
1 woke programmer, and there goes your promise.
If they pledge this then it means TOO LATE!!!
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