Leading robot production firms have pledged not to add weapons to general-purpose robots. Neither they will support any kind of weaponization opposing others from doing so. In an open letter, the top six robotics companies promised not to support weaponization.
The open letter reads, “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,” reported by Axios.
Call others to make similar pledges
The companies also asked others in the letter to make similar pledges. It adds, “We also call on every organization, developer, researcher and user in the robotics community to make similar pledges not to build, authorize, support, or enable the attachment of weaponry to such robots.”
Companies including Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree Robotics had their signatures on the letter.
Meanwhile, co-signers pledge to review applications to buy their Robotics. It will be in support of the prevention of possible weaponization. Also, to investigate technological features that could be weaponized in near future. The letter said, “To be clear, we are not taking issue with existing technologies. That nations and their government agencies use to defend themselves and uphold their laws,”
Concerns about weaponizing commercially available robots
Boston Dynamics is very concerned about commercial robots’ weaponization. The firm said in a statement to Axios adding that such development could further destroy public trust in technology.
The statement said, “For this technology to be broadly accepted throughout society, the public needs to know they can trust it. “And that means we need a policy that prohibits bad actors from misusing it.”
The six robotics companies say “that the benefits for humanity of these technologies strongly outweigh the risk of misuse. We are excited about a bright future in which humans and robots work side by side to tackle some of the world’s challenges”.
