Robot war dog with rifle prompts AI weaponisation fears

A robot dog armed with a sniper rifle capable of hitting targets from 3,940 feet away was criticised as 'terrifying', 'dystopian' and a 'nightmare'.

Manufactured by Ghost Robotics and arms manufacturer SWORD International and unveiled at a US Army trade show, the 'Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle' (SPUR) is a "robot dog" equipped with a 6.5mm Creedmoor sniper rifle.

Marketed as a remote-controlled system and featuring a 30x optical zoom, thermal imaging, a ceramic coating designed to make it harder for night-vision systems to detect, and AI-powered target detection and tracking, SPUR can be remotely instructed to load, unload, and fire, and is capable of hitting targets from 3,940 feet (1,200 meters).

Critics cited the psychological "distance" such a system creates for the operator, potentially lowering the threshold for lethal engagement and paving the way for fully autonomous "slaughterbots" that can make life-and-death decisions without a human in the loop. 

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• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10091493/Killer-bot-Terrifying-robot-dog-fitted-6-5mm-sniper-RIFLE-unveiled-Army-trade-show.html

• https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/14/22726111/robot-dogs-with-guns-sword-international-ghost-robotics

• https://futurism.com/sniper-rifle-robot-dog

• https://gizmodo.com/robot-murder-dog-new-thing-to-worry-about-as-you-fall-a-1847867174

• https://interestingengineering.com/yes-robot-dogs-can-now-carry-sniper-rifles-on-their-backs

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• https://www.iflscience.com/technology/robot-dogs-just-got-a-lethal-dystopian-upgrade/

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