Robot makers pledge not to weaponise their creations

A growing number of robot makers are pledging not to weaponise their creations.

This week, an open letter – currently signed by six robotics companies – pledges not to support the use of their creations for deadly purposes.

Here’s a copy of the full letter:

“General Purpose Robots Should Not Be Weaponized

We are some of the world’s leading companies dedicated to introducing new generations of advanced mobile robotics to society. These new...

7 October 2022 | AI

DJI halts drone business in Russia and Ukraine

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI is halting its business in Russia and Ukraine following reports its products are being repurposed for military use.

Last week, the company issued a statement to reiterate that it does not market, sell, or design its products for military use, has refused to customise or enable modifications for this purpose, and is “unequivocally opposed attempts to attach weapons” to its products.

In the statement, DJI added:

“DJI is...

27 April 2022 | Drones

British Army chief: A quarter of soldiers could be robots by 2030

The head of the UK’s military has said that he expects up to a quarter of soldiers could be robots by the 2030s.

Sir Nick Carter – a decorated general with service in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Basra – made the comments to Sky News on Sunday.

“I suspect we could have an army of 120,000, of which 30,000 might be robots,” Sir Nick said.

In a paper called The Internet of Battle Things – published by the US Army Research Laboratory in 2016 – the...

9 November 2020 | IoT