Some leading robot makers are pledging not to weaponize them

People take pictures and videos of the Boston Dynamics robot Spot during an event in Lisbon in 2019. People take pictures and videos of the Boston Dynamics robot Spot during an event in Lisbon in 2019. Boston Dynamics and five other robotics companies have signed an open letter saying what many of us were already nervously hoping for anyway: Let's not weaponize general-purpose robots. The six leading tech firms -- including Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree -- say advanced robots could result in huge benefits in our work and home lives but that they may also be used for nefarious purposes. "Untrustworthy people could use them to invade civil rights or to threaten, harm, or intimidate others," the companies said.