NYPD puts down $94k robot canine contract after outcry
(2021/05/01)
- Reference: 1619820784
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/04/30/nypd_robot_dog/
- Source link:
The New York Police Department has ended its $94,000 contract testing a robot canine named Digidog and is returning it to its makers, Boston Dynamics, after facing harsh criticism from residents and top politicians.
“The contract has been terminated and the dog will be returned,” the NYPD told The Register , declining to elaborate.
[1]
The experiment to see how Digidog could aid law enforcement was cut short, John Miller, the police force's deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, confirmed this week. Originally set to expire in August, NYPD said it decided to scrap the contract early over the controversy it caused.
What's that, Lt Lassie? Three terrorists have fallen down a well? Strap on these AR goggles and we'll find 'em [2]READ MORE
“People had figured out the catchphrases and the language to somehow make [the technology] evil,” Miller [3]said , according to the New York Times. Critics claimed Digidog was unfairly snooping on city residents, contributed to the militarization of police, and believed the tens of thousands of dollars used to rent Digidog could have been spent elsewhere.
A recent [4]viral video showed Digidog exiting an apartment building in New York City with police officers behind a man who was handcuffed. Onlookers were shocked to see the four-legged, headless machine pounding the streets with law enforcement in such a way.
[5]
The metallic canine has been deployed in other areas of the city too since it was first acquired last August, and caught the attention of US House Representative Alexandria Ocaso-Cortez (D-NY), who slammed the decision to blow thousands of dollars of public money on technology for spying on low-income areas and people of color when schools could do with the cash.
Shout out to everyone who fought against community advocates who demanded these resources go to investments like school counseling instead.
Now robotic surveillance ground drones are being deployed for testing on low-income communities of color with under-resourced schools 👍🏽 [6]https://t.co/ZqKtnexctb — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) [7]February 25, 2021
NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio wasn’t a fan of the robot canine, either. Bill Neidhardt, a spokesperson for DeBlasio, said he was “glad the Digidog was put down,” and that the machine is “creepy, alienating and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers.”
Non-profit groups, like The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) also chastised the cops for deploying Digidog. “The NYPD is turning bad science fiction into real life,” STOP’s executive director Albert Fox Cahn, previously said in a [8]statement . “There is no reason why our city should be spending $70,000 on yet another invasive surveillance tool.”
[9]
Although the metallic doggo has been shelved, there’s a chance it could return in the future during a less contentious time for police. “For now, this is a casualty of politics, bad information, and cheap sound bytes," said deputy commissioner Miller
"We should have named it Lassie."
The Register has asked Boston Dynamics for comment. ®
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[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/10/uncle_sam_is_investing_in/
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/28/nyregion/nypd-robot-dog-backlash.html
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/17/ai_in_brief/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YIzSW6kV5IUjeIs0SXaC7gAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://t.co/ZqKtnexctb
[7] https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1365021717144420354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8] https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2021/4/14/stop-renews-condemnation-of-nypd-robot-dog
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[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
“The contract has been terminated and the dog will be returned,” the NYPD told The Register , declining to elaborate.
[1]
The experiment to see how Digidog could aid law enforcement was cut short, John Miller, the police force's deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, confirmed this week. Originally set to expire in August, NYPD said it decided to scrap the contract early over the controversy it caused.
What's that, Lt Lassie? Three terrorists have fallen down a well? Strap on these AR goggles and we'll find 'em [2]READ MORE
“People had figured out the catchphrases and the language to somehow make [the technology] evil,” Miller [3]said , according to the New York Times. Critics claimed Digidog was unfairly snooping on city residents, contributed to the militarization of police, and believed the tens of thousands of dollars used to rent Digidog could have been spent elsewhere.
A recent [4]viral video showed Digidog exiting an apartment building in New York City with police officers behind a man who was handcuffed. Onlookers were shocked to see the four-legged, headless machine pounding the streets with law enforcement in such a way.
[5]
The metallic canine has been deployed in other areas of the city too since it was first acquired last August, and caught the attention of US House Representative Alexandria Ocaso-Cortez (D-NY), who slammed the decision to blow thousands of dollars of public money on technology for spying on low-income areas and people of color when schools could do with the cash.
Shout out to everyone who fought against community advocates who demanded these resources go to investments like school counseling instead.
Now robotic surveillance ground drones are being deployed for testing on low-income communities of color with under-resourced schools 👍🏽 [6]https://t.co/ZqKtnexctb — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) [7]February 25, 2021
NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio wasn’t a fan of the robot canine, either. Bill Neidhardt, a spokesperson for DeBlasio, said he was “glad the Digidog was put down,” and that the machine is “creepy, alienating and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers.”
Non-profit groups, like The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) also chastised the cops for deploying Digidog. “The NYPD is turning bad science fiction into real life,” STOP’s executive director Albert Fox Cahn, previously said in a [8]statement . “There is no reason why our city should be spending $70,000 on yet another invasive surveillance tool.”
[9]
Although the metallic doggo has been shelved, there’s a chance it could return in the future during a less contentious time for police. “For now, this is a casualty of politics, bad information, and cheap sound bytes," said deputy commissioner Miller
really, bytes? – ed.
"We should have named it Lassie."
The Register has asked Boston Dynamics for comment. ®
Get our [10]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YIzSW6kV5IUjeIs0SXaC7gAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/10/uncle_sam_is_investing_in/
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/28/nyregion/nypd-robot-dog-backlash.html
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/17/ai_in_brief/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YIzSW6kV5IUjeIs0SXaC7gAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://t.co/ZqKtnexctb
[7] https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1365021717144420354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8] https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2021/4/14/stop-renews-condemnation-of-nypd-robot-dog
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YIzSW6kV5IUjeIs0SXaC7gAAAUY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Until they give it a better audio transducer
JassMan
Its bark will always be worse than its byte.
Mines the one with a pocket full of kitty treats.
It is not a dog
G Mac
“The contract has been terminated and the dog will be returned,” the NYPD told The Register, declining to elaborate.
Take a look at the damn thing
pip25
Comparing it to a dog only makes it look worse, or should I say, more of a seemingly headless monstrosity. I've been following Boston Dynamics' research during the past years, and they barely put any stickers on this one compared to the test versions. How was this supposed to engender trust in the technology?
Dear robot boffins: it's not enough that your creation works. You also need to expend effort to make it look friendly, not something manufactured by Skynet.
Re: Take a look at the damn thing
Anonymous Coward
What does looks have to do with anything?
It's the potential application that counts. This thing is no more than a Manhack.
Well they really should have use this as community outreach than crime fighting!
Anonymous Coward
These robots would have been great as community outreach tool rather than crime fighting tools. Because the police already have wheeled robots that does everything these can do, except not with the cool factor. And this comes comes from someone who grew up in NYC.
Quite obviously
“For now, this is a casualty of politics, bad information, and cheap sound bytes,"
Yes?
Well ...
From here it looks like, for now , New Yorkers are the casualty of politics, bad information and a deputy commissioner (for intelligence and counterterrorism at that) who is quite obviously a certified asshole.
O.