Has A.I. Made Robot Dogs Too Smart?

Thanks to MIT CSAIL for inviting me to come film with them. And special thanks to Dr. Pulkit Agrawal and Gabe Margolis for their time and for their amazing insight on this subject.

Images Courtesy of Getty Images

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Eric Ypsilantis
Robert Thompson
Keith Skipper

Credits:
Narrator: Stephanie Sammann
Sound: Manni Simon

References:

[alphamorion]

'As long as the goverments of the world do their job, we'll have nothing to worry about'

So basically we're all thoroughly screwed.

[nunyobidness]

Robot pretends to throw a Bitcoin
Human runs around looking for it
Robot laughs
Repeat

[YT-jgkz]

You know, I would much rather see people install trash picking gear on them than an automatic rifle.

[etunimenisukunimeni]

I guess when the robot dog armies come for us, we'll finally find out who's a good boy?

[JackSparrow-reql]

"Furthering human cause", they'll be used for war.

I found it really odd not having a single reference to Boston Dynamics, knowing that they have had their first commercial robot for several years now, and these robots that starting popping up are mostly copies

[RubbrChickn]

Ukraine is using remote controlled robot dogs for scouting battlefields, the US marines are reviewing the potential to use ghost robotics dogs with mounted rifles and automatic targeting, with human intervention being required to start shooting

[BluishGreenPro]

I think of these similarly to helicopters; will they be weaponized? Probably.
But helicopters are also invaluable in search/rescue and as air ambulances.
We can’t ignore that just like any tool, these will have great potential to help and hinder.

[JaybugJabbers]

Fear of robot dogs is not fear of the unknown, imo. It's fear of what police have already been using them to do. This is not a 'silly' concern or kneejerk reaction, this is a very real concern that should be addressed. These machines can be used for so much good, but you should acknowledge that they can certainly be used for harm, too. And we should be thinking of ways to prevent that harm.

[meltedyakkystick]

That one Black Mirror episode where the robot dog chases the guy through the woods is a potential reality we are very much approaching

[jupiter]

0:50 this section felt to me like you were saying Unitree and its robots are owned or operated by M.I.T. which is incorrect. Unitree ( Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co., Ltd. ) is a chinese owned and operated company.
I like watching your video's but i just wanted to point that out to any viewers that might be under the same false assumption as I was.

[rutufn]

They are called dogs to seems sympathetics or more powerful, but they have hoofs instead of claws, so as tétrapods they are more related to pigs or deers.

[veronikalynn]

I find it really disingenuous and condescending that this video BARELY touches the military application.

MIT is known for its many and varied military contracts. It is a government partnership.

Please don’t avoid this reality by overstating the benefits.

[WiredRoot]

Not a fan of the conclusion and it's moral relativistic attitude and fatalistic acceptance of AI progress as something that can't be fought. As a whole this felt like pro AI and pro robotics propaganda, or at least an ad for those stupid dog robots. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Luddite, but I still like to point out when I see something that seems manipulative.

[jaywilliamsphoto]

It’s frustrating when scientists/researchers feign being naive about the possible and likely applications of their work.
The intent of scientists is usually only to satisfy their curiosity and not to do harm, but they look the other way when thinking about the potential for harm because, well, no one likes feeling bad about something.
The reality is, economics rules the roost and STEM isn’t immune to it.
This technology wouldn’t progress another day if investors didn’t believe in its economic viability. And in this case, where would the largest economic benefit come from? Keeping in mind practical aids need to be cost effective. The granny down the street isn’t getting a robot support dog that costs thousands, she’s getting a walking frame that costs $50.

[sclair]

I''m not worried about them putting a brain in them, I'm worried about them selling them to defence contractors and police.

[jon]

It's not that people are more scared of legs vs wheels... it's the knowledge of how governments and corporations will turn these more advanced capabilities on us.

[pigeonlizard]

It’s not just the unknown that gives us pause. It’s definitely the KNOWN, that humans abuse technology, that gives me concern. Legislation is not keeping up with technology.

[EnergiZeScuba]

20:11 *The dog will remember it*"

[Telencephelon]

10:00 The most important part in AI, is a leather jacket.