From: cleoabram
Boston Dynamics’ robot dog, Spot, has achieved a significant milestone by being deployed in various real-world jobs [00:00:31]. While their capabilities offer potential benefits, their increasing presence also raises important ethical considerations.
Controversial Deployments and Public Perception
Spot is now performing work for entities such as fire departments, factories, defunct nuclear power plants, and deep mines [00:00:36]. More controversially, these robots are also being used by police departments [00:00:40]. This has led to strong reactions, with “a lot of people who think this is terrifying” [00:01:11].
Spot has drawn attention from both military and police forces [00:01:13]. For example, the Italian police use Spot to inspect grave robber tunnels in the ancient ruins of Pompeii [00:02:18]. In 2021, the New York Police Department remotely controlled a Spot robot to locate a man hiding in a building after a shooting incident [00:07:42]. Photos suggest it was piloted by officers and equipped with what appeared to be a thermal camera [00:07:50].
Robot Dogs as a Platform
The core of the robot dog story is that they serve as a “platform” [00:08:08]. This means people can develop and add new capabilities on top of the base technology [00:08:15]. This flexibility allows for both beneficial and detrimental uses [00:08:19]. There are many videos online of people buying robot dogs from various companies and equipping them with custom payloads [00:08:26].
Concerns Regarding Weaponization
The ancestors of Spot, early quadruped robots from Boston Dynamics, were initially funded by the U.S. military, which hoped for a robotic pack mule for rough terrain [00:08:30]. As the technology improved, military interest grew [00:08:40]. Other companies, such as Ghost Robotics, are now building this technology specifically for military use [00:08:47]. For instance, in 2020, the Air Force partnered with Ghost Robotics to use robot dogs as inspectors at Tyndall Air Force Base, notably without carrying weapons [00:08:51].
Despite this, the prospect of “robot dogs with weapons” is “not hard to imagine,” especially for those familiar with media like Black Mirror [00:08:56]. This directly raises concerns about weaponization of robots. Boston Dynamics has proactively signed a pledge stating that general-purpose robots like Spot should not be weaponized [00:09:01]. They advocate for other robotics companies to make similar commitments to ensure robots continue to improve quality of life [00:09:05].
However, not all companies agree on the intended purpose of robot dogs [00:09:24].
Broader Disagreements on Robot Dog Applications
Beyond the issue of weaponization, there are significant disagreements about what other roles Spot should fill [00:09:29]. Questions arise such as:
- Should an unarmed robot dog be sent ahead of firefighters or police into dangerous areas? [00:09:30]
- Would public perception differ if it were a wheeled robot instead of a dog-like form? [00:09:34]
- If Spots gain the ability to identify people experiencing health crises, should they patrol cities? [00:09:39]
- Does it matter if these robots collect video data, especially if existing cameras are already present in the area? [00:09:44]
The precise role and ethical boundaries for robot dogs remain uncertain and require collective societal decision-making [00:09:49]. While there is potential for these robots to enhance safety, navigate dangerous environments, and perform tasks beyond human capability [00:09:53], the future impact of such technology depends on how humanity collectively decides to integrate this “platform” into a changing world [00:10:32].