The machine revolution is still far away, however, human beings are preparing the ground for eventual extinction. The most recent example is a bill in the United States that allows the use of robots to kill people. In accordance with The Washington Post, San Francisco police could use ground robots to kill a suspect when it threatens the lives of officers and other people.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved in its first session a law authorizing law enforcement to use robots to kill humans. The new legislation establishes that the San Francisco Police (SFPD) will be able to use military-grade equipment to safeguard the safety of people under extraordinary circumstances. Deployment of a remote controlled robot it will be done only in extreme cases, when the police officers have exhausted the use of other options and de-escalation tactics.
Robots will only be used as a deadly force option when the risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and outweighs any other force option available to the San Francisco Police Department.
The use of “killer robots” sparked debate among some members of the Board of Supervisors, lawyers and experts who oppose the militarization of the police. The original proposal stated that the robots would not be used as a use of force against any person. However, it was established that would be allowed as long as it was not possible to contain a threat.
One of the most obvious examples of the use of robots occurred in 2016, when the Dallas police department used remote equipment to contain a sniper. The police used a bomb anti-bomb robot to transport and detonate an explosive where the suspect was located. The head of the Department, David Brown, justified the action, saying that other options would have exposed the officers to serious danger.
How are the robots that the police will use to kill people?
Although the first image we have of killer robots would be a T-800 attempting the life of Sarah Connor, the reality is very different. The San Francisco Police Department has 12 working robots purchased in a span of seven years. SFPD spokesman Robert Rueca said the corporation bought them for make arrests, assess suspicious devices or respond to critical incidentsalthough in none of those cases were they used against a person.
The Law Enforcement Equipment Use Policy, which defines the use of these robots, lists the models that are active. In the document we find the F5A and F6A from Remotec, two small robots capable of climbing stairs and transporting tools and accessories. Also found are Quinetic’s TALON and DRAGON RUNNER, used to disable explosives and perform reconnaissance.
All models are military grade and are used in US Army missions as well as SWAT operations. Despite the fact that Rueca stated that San Francisco police will not equip their robots with firearms, there is a precedent. according to the newspaper Local MissionOakland police considered using shotgun shells in a bomb-busting robot for emergency response.
The law establishes that Approval from a higher command of the department is required for the deployment of the robots. These sThey may only be operated by officers who have completed prior training and they will not be used beyond the test fields, simulations and critical situations.
Using a killer robot is an example that we live in a dystopia
The bill for using killer robots was not welcomed by everyone, including some members of the Board of Supervisors. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office defined the measure as dehumanizing and militaristic in a letter sent to the Board. For his part, Dean Preston, one of the three supervisors who voted against, stated that there is a serious potential for misuse and abuse of the technology.
This is a police department here to protect us, not the US military we are arming. There is serious potential for misuse and abuse of this military-grade technology, and zero evidence of necessity. Dean Preston
Other supervisors argued that would not help save lives and would sow mistrust in communities. Albert Fox Cahn, director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, said the law could be extended to other departments and we would see the arrival of more advanced robots. “To the best of my knowledge, this would be the first city to take the step of passing a law authorizing killer robots,” he mentioned.
The bill has not yet passed, as it requires a second vote by the Board of Supervisors and the signature of the mayor of San Francisco. If achieved, Skynet would have taken an important step in its goal to destroy human beings.