Robotics Companies Pledge Not to Allow Weapons on Their Robots

A group of robotics companies, including Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Boston Dynamics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree Robotics, published an open letter on Thursday pledging not to allow weapons on their robots and calling on other companies to follow suit.

The companies noted that the robots have a wide range of peaceful and even rescue applications, but abusers could use them to violate civil rights or to threaten, harm or intimidate others:

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. Weaponized applications of these newly-capable robots will also harm public trust in the technology in ways that damage the tremendous benefits they will bring to society.

The robotics companies calls on politicians to work together on the safe use of robots and ban their misuse. In addition, it has appealed to the robotics industry not to create, authorise, support or permit the installation of weapons on such robots.

They believe they expect "a bright future in which humans and robots work side by side to tackle some of the world’s challenges."