According to Vice, a video depicting a robot dog shooting rounds from a submachine gun strapped on its back has gone viral online, prompting questions about whether we are genuinely employing technology in this way.
Spot from Boston Dynamics appears to be the neighborhood-friendly dog you can rely on when he strolls along a sidewalk or trots across a factory floor. The fact that the business is adamant about not utilizing its technology as a weapon also helps. But it doesn’t take long for someone else to execute that thought, as seen in the video below below.
According to the video, the two have been combined to create a guard and patrol dog. The Verge’s social media analysis revealed that Atamanov, the owner of the video, has a passion for military hardware. He shared a picture of the robotic dog delivering him coffee a few months back.
Why then did he create a murderous dog?
Atamanov appears to have combined his two passions into a single endeavor and supposedly created one extremely hazardous gadget as a result. The robot dog struggles to manage the recoil created when the pistol is fired, as seen in the video. In order for the dog to perform the task well, Atamanov hasn’t done anything more than combine the two.
The dog and the handler appear to be hitting the target precisely without having any apparent aim. The dog is obviously not intended for the front lines of battle, or even created to go there in the near future, as evidenced by the Velcro on its flanks.
Therefore, even if the dog appears to be firing near a Russian armored car and is carrying a Russian flag and an insignia for the Russian Special Operations Forces, it is undoubtedly not going to be by Russian troops any time soon.
Has anyone else have a vicious robot dog?
Locally, Ghost Robotics of Philadelphia unveiled a similar lethal robot dog prototype in 2021, sparking a global debate over whether it should be permitted to be further developed. The killer robot, known as Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle (SPUR), uses a 6.5mm Creedmoor rifle and is said to be fitted with sensors that enable it to operate both during the day and at night.
There are a thousand reasons for developing weapons, which military contractors and personnel can identify. An article in the New York Times from last year said that artificial intelligence was allegedly employed to target a nuclear expert from Iran who was driving with his wife. The scientist was shot and died while his wife, who was sitting close by, was unharmed.
The reality is that there is currently technology available to turn robots into deadly weapons that can be used against humans. How long can we truly continue to support their continuous use and development, is the question.