Amid worries about the militarization and automation of policing, San Francisco legislators have decided to outlaw the contentious practice of allowing police to deploy robots for lethal force. 17 robots are in the arsenal of the San Francisco police department (SFPD).
The city’s board of supervisors has agreed to forbid police robots from being deployed
The city’s board of supervisors has agreed to forbid police robots from being deployed in such a lethal way, but they have also requested that a committee conduct additional research before deciding whether to permit the deployment of killer robots in certain circumstances.
After voting to enable robots to be armed with explosives “where risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and outweighs any other force option available to SFPD,” the board members made the significant U-turn one week later. Additionally, it was decided that only senior officers would be permitted to approve the deployment of lethal robots.
The decision to reverse the earlier action follows a number of objections from civil society organizations
The decision to reverse the earlier action follows a number of objections from civil society organizations and three board members who had previously opposed utilizing killer robots.
They held a demonstration on Monday outside City Hall to oppose the choice, shouting things like, “We all saw that movie… No killer robots.” Dean Preston, a supervisor who was one of the members who opposed the change, said on Tuesday that “killer robots” have no place in society.
“The people of San Francisco have spoken loud and clear: There is no place for killer police in our city,” he said in a statement after the vote, according to AP news agency. “We should be working on ways to decrease the use of force by local law enforcement, not giving them new tools to kill people.”
Only San Francisco and Oakland have held discussions about the use of lethal robots thus far. When faced with vehement public resistance, the Oakland police decided against arming bots with shotguns.