Spot. He sees, grabs, walks, carries, and even poses, but this little doggy is actually a robot. Developed by Boston Dynamics, Spot is a highly customizable work assistance bot that’s turning a lot of heads. Among those heads was the Massachusetts State Police who acquired a Spot on a three-month loan. Naturally, some people are concerned with the potential uses of this peace-intended robot.

For all of its potential, Boston Dynamics doesn’t want Spot weaponized… That’s one of the reasons why the company is opting for lease agreements, rather than a sale, Perry said. Boston Dynamics wants to be selective in which companies get access to Spot — and have the ability to take the equipment back if the lease is violated.

WBUR

According to WBUR, police say they have only made use of Spot for two events outside of testing. However, they also point to the department’s past lack of “transparency” with their robotics program as a point of concern. In the past, police utilized an explosive bot to nullify the threat of a lethal sniper. Though there isn’t an apparent basis to fear Spot specifically being used in a lethal or threatening way, the technological potential is definitely there.

Some individuals, such as Thor Eels (executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association), believe this kind of robot would fall under the same warrant requirements as a person. Without such a warrant it would, frankly said, be illegal to use Spot to invade privacy in accord with this line of thought.

Others, like Kade Crockford (director of the technology for liberty program at the ACLU of Massachusetts), are convinced that the state police should acquire a policy before using this type of technology. This way thinking would conclude that a technology with unlimited potential should have a preset fence of limitations.

How do you feel about Spot and similar robots presence in the work place and government? Would you like to seem them implemented in your local police force? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook!