See robot dog make friends at CA Capitol as legislators consider banning gun-toting robots

Boston Dynamics’ Agile Mobile Robot dog Spot visited the state Capitol on Thursday, interacting with members of the public and legislators.

This visit was part of Boston Dynamics’ effort to garner support for AB 2681, a bill that would prohibit the sale and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles or robotic devices that are equipped or mounted with a weapon. Dr. Akilah Weber, D-La Mesa, introduced the bill in February.

“What the bill does — it’s very kind of common sense — is it prohibits the weaponization of robots,” said Brendan Schulman, the Vice President of Policy and Government Relations for Boston Dynamics.

Schulman said decades of sci-fi mass media has caused the general public to think robots are sentient and harbor ill will toward humanity. He said Boston Dynamics’ robots exist to help keep people out of harm’s way, such as during bomb diffusion scenarios.

“Spot looks like a dog, but it’s not a dog. It doesn’t think for itself. It doesn’t know how to go fetch you a soda,” Schulman said. “We want to make sure that as robots become more ubiquitous and more accessible to folks that they’re used responsibly.”

The banned weapons include stun guns, firearms, machine guns, chemical agents or irritants, kinetic impact projectiles, weaponized lasers, flamethrowers and explosive devices.

The bill contains exemptions for robot competitions and defense and military applications.

This story was originally published August 16, 2024 at 7:00 AM.