Story at-a-glance
- Warfighter solutions company Sword Defense Systems debuted its Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle, or SPUR, in October 2021
- SPUR is designed to offer precision fire from robots, or “unmanned platforms,” including Ghost Robotics’ Vision-60 quadruped, which resembles a dog
- Autonomous killer dog robots could quickly be rolled out not only for surveillance and defense purposes, but also for offensive maneuvers to impose fear and maintain control over a civilian population
- Boston Dynamics, which manufactures a variety of quadrupedal robots, has addressed some of the inevitable privacy, civil rights and safety issues that come along with such technology, including prohibiting the weaponizing of any of their machines
- The Stop Killer Robots coalition is working to ensure that humans maintain control in the use of force and are calling for international law to be developed on autonomy in weapons systems
- Without action, the coalition believes that moral engagement and existing legal rules are at risk, as digital dehumanization expands
Continue reading “Robot Murder Dogs Have Arrived”
