Roguely Stated

What do you get when you cross a robot that vacuums floors with a stun gun?

One step closer to robots that can choose to exercise lethal force, says John Pike, director of the military research organization GlobalSecurity.org.

The military-industrial complex has already come a long way in robot R&D, but Thursday marked another step down that road when Taser International and iRobot Corp. teamed up to offer stun gun-equipped robots for the military and police forces. The Washington Post carries the AP story here.

If we thought privatization of military services raised big questions, just wait until the troops are made with more metal than the equipment they’re using.

The improved technology holds great promise, but just like biological engineering, there are ethical considerations that need to be thought through. And practical ones too: if you can control an armed robot by remote control, cyber warfare takes on a whole new importance as combatants battle over the airwaves for control of a computer chip.

This is uncharted territory … almost. Thankfully, we’ve got experts. First, Isaac Asimov and his I, Robot book series, which is definitely worth a read. Second, Will Smith and his movie by the same name. Remember the scene when Smith’s character, Del Spooner, tries to interrogate the robot Sonny to see if he killed his maker? Spooner’s boss is trying to convince him that it’s impossible for a robot to harm a human.

Spooner: What if I’m right [that the robot committed murder]?

Boss: Well, then I guess we’re going to miss the “good old days.”

Spooner: What “good old days”?

Boss: When people were killed by other people.

Nice line.

Last — and probably least when it comes to depth of message — we’ve got Styx and lyricist Dennis DeYoung: “The problem’s plain to see: too much technology / Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize.” Full lyrics worth looking at … robot or man? Not as clear cut as you’d think.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.