Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to buy at least a million dollars worth of robots from Boston Dynamics, the company that makes the dog-like SPOT robots, with the purpose of improving “officer safety,” according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement.

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[–] 24 points 2 months ago (1 child)

Just wait until you see what's in their budget next year...

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago

    Maybe it's time we Bob general dynamics headquarters?

    🅱️ 1
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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    This is going to create unsustainable costs in the long run. In the medium term it will hurt people indescriminately.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago
    [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    There's gotta be a way to hack these things.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (3 children)

    Maybe smarter than the ICE agents.

    Meanwhile in China

    https://youtube.com/shorts/tUQCMyMQWzI

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    @Zerush @technocrit The Kata is a bit sloppy but considering its a robot doing it im damn impressed.

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  • 68 comments in c/technology@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 138 points 2 months ago (11 children)

    But Boston Dynamics has ethics and won't do business with ICE, right? Right??

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  • [–] 77 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    In the past, they held out and said no. I hope they stand by it now.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I just read that corporations are starting to cozy up to Democrats, in anticipation of the Democratic Bloodbath in the Midterms. Perhaps they'll see that supporting MAGA and ICE is a bad idea.

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  • [–] 35 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Depends on who owns them these days. Last I heard they had changed hands a couple times.

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  • [–] 78 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    These are the robot dogs with the big red button on them you can press and they turn off.

    Some moronic swat team used it recently and then lost it because the barricaded suspect kicked the button.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago

    Its also really easy to yank the battery out if you need to. The battery also only lasts an hour and a half, tops, and depending what attachments are on it the weight and power draw will shorten that. They will only be useful in quick scenarios like breaching buildings in a raid. Range from the controller isnt very far either without wifi connection, you have to follow it around in unconnected locations.

    People tend to imagine strapping a gun to it but really its a scouting tool. Open a door (awkwardly) walk in and look around. Then people follow in and do the work.

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  • [–] 76 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    It's almost like Congress shouldn't have given a bunch of low IQ fascists a blank fucking check.

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  • [–] 43 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    So these robots assist with breaking in to private homes in violation of the constitution? Because it doesn't count if a human doesn't break in first?

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  • [–] 35 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    We need to normalize absolutely wrecking these robots in public.

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  • [–] 30 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I remember that Black Mirror episode.

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  • [–] 23 points 2 months ago (6 children)
  • [+] 7 points 2 months ago (5 children)
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    It's such a great episode. Because while the thing is terrifying, it's also vaguely dog-like and clumsy in some of its movements, so you can't help but anthropomorphise a bit.

    But then something that looks kind of cute can still kill you dead.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    No one is going to tell everyone else which show and episode you guys are talking about?

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  • [–] 19 points 2 months ago

    A million dollars worth? So four?

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  • [–] 15 points 2 months ago

    If you think this is all for immigration enforcement, you haven't been paying attention.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    My esteem for Boston Dynamics just went into the toilet. They know exactly what ICE is. What a way to end 15 years of innovation and admiration.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago*

    They're were always going to sell these things to the likes of the military and the police, it was unrealistic to expect them not to. So every time they came out and said they wouldn't do anything draconian like that I just rolled my eyes.

    If anyone is surprised by this that's on them for being naive.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Just curious, where is the battery located on these things? Perhaps a nice, spring loaded puncturing device could get through the chassis and puncture the battery

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  • [–] 11 points 2 months ago

    So, Black Mirror is literally just the real life “Don’t Invent The Torment Nexus” meme.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I thought these super creepy gun mount ready robots were built to help blind people or something? Who saw this sort of abuse coming??

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Fahrenheit 451 entered the chat.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago

    "Millions"? That's about 20 dogs.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    1 Mill? How many is that, 4 or 5? ICE personnel have never demonstrated themselves to be the sharpest knives in the drawer. Are they even going to be able make any use of them?

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  • Time to practice my bolas throw I guess.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago*

    What's the robot dog going to do? I don't think it's very strong and I'm reasonably confident that I can outwit it by going around the corner.

    Even Boston dynamics really only advertises it for things like inspections of hazardous areas or remote locations. What's it going to do carry their lunch?

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I wonder how long until someone hacks one and goes on a murder-robot rampage. . ?

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Archive Link

    Seriously, who the fuck posts paywalled shit anymore? Especially from places like 404 where neither u-block nor reader mode gets around it.

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  • [–] -4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    If you sign up they let you read it for free. But yes archive link is good to provide as most will not bother to sign up

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago

    Humanity sees evil and continues to do nothing about it. No wonder God stays in heaven. Devil has won.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Red Planet's AMEE

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago
    [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    With all these electronic gadgets they be deploying... wonder if they're shielded for EMP.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    Time to figure out how to start hacking those thing.

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  • 3 comments in c/gestapo_usa@lemmy.dbzer0.com view that post
    [–] 5 points 2 months ago*

    They’re definitely moving along on the horrifying abusive authoritarian dystopia plan

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    I hope you are hoarding microwave ovens.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    Oh hey, I remember this Black Mirror episode

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  • 2 comments in c/technology@midwest.social view that post
    [–] 4 points 2 months ago

    Hey, they’re gonna kill you all with robot dogs and take your house to rent it out.

    I’m not making a joke.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    There it is.

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  • 1 comment in c/technology@lemmy.zip view that post
    [–] 10 points 2 months ago

    No one could have ever seen thus coming the moment they saw these terrifying robodogs!

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