Boston Dynamics has signed an open letter pledging not to weaponize general-purpose robots.
What Happened: The robotics startup was one of six companies in the space that wrote and signed an open letter on Thursday, stating that one area of particular concern when it comes to advanced mobile robots is weaponization. Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics, and Unitree Robotics pledged not to weaponize our advanced-mobility general-purpose robots or software we develop that allows advanced robotics. See also : Can I Purchase A Robot'': NBA Hall of Famer Wants A Tesla Bot, Will Elon Musk Help Him Out?
The possibility of misuse is offered by the emergence of advanced mobile robots. People who aren't trustworthy can use them to invade civil rights or threaten to harm or intimidate others, the letter says.
The letter said that if you add 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, there are new risks of harm and serious ethical issues.
Why It's Important That Boston Dynamics' state-of-the-art robots have attracted mass attention because of their advanced mobility and slick looks, especially in the aftermath of a video posted by the company on YouTube.
The video, released on December 30, 2020, featured the company's humanoid Atlas and dog-like robot Spot grooving — and backflipping — on the song Do You Love Me? It has clocked over 37 million views.
When Tesla Inc. unveiled a prototype of its under-developed humanoid a week ago, the internet was rife with comparisons to similar offerings from Boston Dynamics, in particular Atlas.
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has publicly raised concerns about artificial intelligence in the past. In 2017 Musk signed an open letter, along with hundreds of AI and robotics researchers and a number of high-profile names from the business and scientific community, calling for a global ban on autonomous weapons.