Experts support Massachusetts bill to ban weaponized robots – Robotics experts testified at the Massachusetts State House last week in support of legislation promoting the safe, ethical use of robotics statewide.
Experts support Massachusetts bill to ban weaponized robots – Robotics experts testified at the Massachusetts State House last week in support of legislation promoting the safe, ethical use of robotics statewide.
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They testified in favor of [S.1208](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1208), a bill that is currently making its way through the Massachusetts legislature. The “Act to ensure the responsible use of advanced robotic technologies” outlines rules and regulations to ensure people use robots responsibly.
“This Act provides guidelines to show and clearly indicate what is allowed and what is not allowed for robotics, and we believe it’s an important thing,” Ryden said during the hearing. “It would allow Massachusetts to be first and lead the nation in this type of legislation, and so we are in favor of this and strongly support it.”
This isn’t the first time organizations have advocated for the ethical use of robots. In 2022, for example, [Boston Dynamics](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/boston-dynamics/) [signed](https://www.therobotreport.com/open-letter-pledges-not-to-weaponize-robots/) an open letter pledging not to weaponize robots, along with other robotics developers [Agility Robotics](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/agility-robotics), [ANYBotics](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/ANYbotics/), [Clearpath Robotics](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/clearpath-robotics/), [Open Robotics](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/open-robotics/), and [Unitree](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/unitree-robotics/). The group [won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award](https://www.therobotreport.com/rbr50-company-2023/coalition-takes-stand-against-weaponized-robots/) from *The Robot Report* for the pledge.
In 2024, MassRobotics [participated](https://www.massrobotics.org/advancing-robotics-highlights-from-the-congressional-robotics-caucus-briefing-in-dc/) in a Congressional Robotics Caucus Briefing on Building Toward a National Robotics Strategy. The briefing also included the National Science Foundation ([NSF](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/nsf/)) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute ([WPI](https://www.therobotreport.com/tag/worcester-polytechnic-institute/)).
If law enforcement doesn’t use them, criminals certainly will.
“Ethical” and law enforcement in the same sentence… and I am usually very pro police myself.
Picture this: Your being “arrested” by the robot, and on your way down to the ground following commands, your foot slips to the right, clipping the foot of the robot. Lets just say you would be lucky not to get your ass beat to a bloody mess, but the slew of charges I am sure your going to get added on due to this for “assaulting” a law enforcement officer.
Nah fam, Good for them resisting this. Along with “traffic cameras” that they insist is to better safety.
I’m gonna be extra, but weaponized drones should qualify under 2nd amendment rights.