Story from Caitlin Johnstone
I thought I’d posted about this here before, but couldn’t find it…
The ‘dog’ tag for this potential people-killer is a stroke of genius, alongside its public presentations - stressing ‘cute’ and ‘cool’ for all they are worth - ensuring that comments take off in a comic fashion. Also as CJ (no relation) points out, the inevitable speculation of them eventually being out of control and attacking people is a dangerous delusion - they are already out of public control. In 2016 a robot with explosives was used to kill a suspect.
Story is a case in point: “the New York Police Department has added “a robot dog” to its force, along with other robots, after previously abandoning their use in the face of public outcry”
Ie, public resistance only led to a brief pause, basically until the fuss died down.
Surveillance robots
Johnstone also notes:
“Another piece of tech called the “K5 Autonomous Security Robot” is also being rolled out alongside the quadrupedal robot, which NBC New York reports “uses artificial intelligence to provide incident notification in real-time to first responders” and will be used to conduct “automated patrol in confined areas both indoors and outdoors, such as transit stations.” So surveillance. It’s a surveillance robot.”
ED
12/4/23 NYPD adds copbots to its arsenal.
The NYPD is welcoming a new member to its ranks: a robot dog. The robotic mobile K-9 device is part of a number of technological rollouts the city said is “crucial” in keeping the city safe. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/say-hello-to-spot-the-robot-police-dog-joining-the-nypd/4230665/ pic.twitter.com/zyoYFbyc8d
— Geopolitics & Empire (@Geopolitics_Emp) April 11, 2023
NBC New York reports that the New York Police Department has added “a robot dog” to its force, along with other robots, after previously abandoning their use in the face of public outcry.
(Before we move on, it must be said that the press really need to stop calling these things “robotic dogs” like they’re some cute cartoon character from The Jetsons. They’re not “dogs”, they’re robots. Police robots. Calling quadrupedal copbots “dogs” is a marketing ploy by those who profit from them and those who want to use them.)
Reporting that the “robotic dog” will be used “in hostage negotiations, counterterrorism incidents and other situations as needed,” NBC New York notes that the robot’s use is being pushed through despite widespread public objections.
“Mayor Eric Adams said that although the robotic dog was previously introduced during a previous administration, leaders then took a step back after public outcry. However, he said that his top concern is public safety,” the report reads.
“This announcement is also another example of the NYPD’s violation of basic norms of transparency and accountability by rolling out these technologies without providing the public a meaningful opportunity to raise concerns,” The Legal Aid Society is quoted as saying in objection to the move.
Another piece of tech called the “K5 Autonomous Security Robot” is also being rolled out alongside the quadrupedal robot, which NBC New York reports “uses artificial intelligence to provide incident notification in real-time to first responders” and will be used to conduct “automated patrol in confined areas both indoors and outdoors, such as transit stations.” So surveillance. It’s a surveillance robot.
Caitlin Johnstone: Normalizing Police Robot Murder https://consortiumnews.com/2022/12/08/caitlin-johnstone-normalizing-police-robot-murder/
— Consortium News (@Consortiumnews) December 8, 2022
Every few months I’ve got to write a new article about new escalations in copbot normalization, because it’s being shoved through with such extreme aggression. It’s been decided that there need to be copbots, so the world is getting copbots.
Whenever a new story breaks about these escalations people always joke about movies where the robots turn against the humans, but that’s not the real danger here. The real danger is that these robots will be fully controlled by humans, and humans have a long track record of oppressing and abusing other humans. This isn’t Terminator or Black Mirror, this is garden variety police militarization, continuing along the same trajectory it’s been on for decades.