The NYPD’s Robot Dog Was a Really Bad Idea

"...I think this is an evolving scenario. And the decision-making, on the part of police departments, about how these things are integrated or not is going to be crucial. I think you would have seen a very different response had the Digidog robot been used to rescue someone from a fire, as opposed to being brought to a housing project in support of police action. I think you would have seen a very different outcome if it had been used as a bomb-disposal-unit robot. So I think a lot is going to depend not only on the design of the robot but also on the timing of use, the context of use and the positioning of this device with regards to how police interact with their communities—and who they serve." (Scientific America, May 2021)

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