Armed autonomous robots cause concern - tech - 07 July 2007 - New Scientist Tech 10:32 07 July 2007 NewScientist.com news service A MOVE to arm police robots with stun guns has been condemned by weapons researchers. On 28 June, Taser International of Arizona announced plans to equip robots with stun guns. The US military already uses PackBot, made by iRobot of Massachusetts, to carry lethal weapons, but the new stun-capable robots could be used against civilians. "The victim would have to receive shocks for longer, or repeatedly, to give police time to reach the scene and restrain them, which carries greater risk to their health," warns non-lethal weapons researcher Neil Davison, of the University of Bradford, UK. "If someone is severely punished by an autonomous robot, who are you going to take to a tribunal?" asks Steve Wright, a security expert at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.
The Israeli military is interested in placing autonomous armed cars to patrol certain borders. The downside so far has been that they can't quite tell friend from foe yet. Which is to say, they shoot at anyone. Anyone at all. Ah, the joys of technology...
i'm reminded of a number of jokes about the only difference between an israeli and their arab neighbors being a half inch of skin. maybe the auto-cars should have a medical scanner equiped?
...Clay, Muslims are circumcised. They usually do it when children are older though. So those jokes you're reminded of are even stupider than they'd otherwise be.
