We Can Now Build Autonomous Killing Machines. And That's a Very, Very Bad Idea

Clearpath Robotics was founded six years ago by three college buddies with a passion for building stuff. Its 80 employees specialize in all-terrain test rigs like the Husky, a stout four-wheeled robot vehicle used by researchers within the Department of Defense. They make drones too, and have even built a robotic boat called the Kingfisher. But there is one thing they will never, ever build: a robot that can kill. Clearpath is the first and, so far as we can tell, only robotics company to pledge not to build killer robots.