03/20/2023

Should police be able to use armed robots?

A proposal to allow San Francisco police to use potentially lethal robots in emergency situations outraged civil rights advocates, and city officials rejected the idea – for now. Police have used robots for bomb disposal and other high-risk situations for years, And in 2016, Dallas police used a robot to deliver a bomb to kill a suspect during a standoff with a sniper who had killed five officers. Newer robots are more advanced, walking like dogs as they move about the world. Many in the public could find those devices intimidating.

■Class discussion: Should police be able to used armed robots to cope with dangers like active shooter emergencies? If a robot is under control of a trained officer, is it much different than an officer using a sniper rifle against a suspect? U.S. armed forces regularly use remotely controlled armed devices like unmanned aerial vehicles. What problems have they had with those drones also killing innocent civilians? Are police using too much military equipment and tactics? Could the rapid growth of artificial intelligence make all armed robots more dangerous?