ICE to use robot dogs from Boston Dynamics in deportation operations | Hacker News Reader

ICE to use robot dogs from Boston Dynamics in deportation operations

wcvb.com

23 pointsr_singh16 comments

Open articleView on HN

I see several comments on this chat referencing "innocent Americans".

Might I suggest "innocent people?"

Thanks.

- a former US immigrant, who left when things got spicy

These things are not safe, and they are deliberately using them on people who can't sue and defend themselves.

This will not end well if you have any respect for basic human rights (even for non-US citizens).

Is it specifically the camera or the single robotic arm meant for manipulating hazardous objects — which resembles a grocery store claw game — that you likely believe is biting into illegal immigrants' legs like a robotic German shepherd?

You have not done the bare minimum of research before blasting out your hilariously melodramatic comment.

I think it’s more that an agency that defends murderers in their ranks isn’t going to have a problem deploying something that injures innocent Americans as it tries to do whatever it’s meant to.

On the upside, I look forward to everyone at Boston Dynamics being subpoenaed for the next few years. Maybe we’ll get some new entrants from the departures.

> deploying something that injures innocent Americans

Except that's not what's happening here. In fact, quite the opposite, it's more like robotic PPE.

> that's not what's happening here

Nobody claimed anyone has been injured by these devices yet. (They haven’t been deployed in public.)

The reasonable concern is that when they are deployed, they are likely to injure someone because the people deploying them have been eagerly hurting—and defending those who hurt—innocent Americans.

These robots are 2 feet tall and don’t come equipped with weapons.

Genuinely curious how you are saying they are dangerous? Are they more or less dangerous than a human with a gun?

> These robots are 2 feet tall and don’t come equipped with weapons

They were barely deployed to regular police when fastening flash-bang grenades to them came up [1].

> Are they more or less dangerous than a human with a gun?

I genuinely don’t see these being used as an “or.” It’s undertrained idiots with guns plus these, or just the former.

[1] https://www.semafor.com/article/05/19/2026/worker-backlash-o...

They could just drive it into someone.

>hazardous gas detection, search and rescue, as well as suspicious package investigations

What the fuck does that have to do with immigration and customs enforcement?

You're the one being "hilariously melodramatic" here by first inventing something the other person didn't say and then patting yourself on the back for taking down that imaginary argument.

Any sufficiently large robots with powerful actuators are an inherent threat when used next to untrained people. This one especially so because it'll be used in adversarial encounters. In reality it'll probably be reserved for scouting (unless you genuinely believe that that agency is going to be investigating gas leaks or doing search and rescues), but do you think they'll care about making it snap someone's bone when they kick the robot and their leg gets stuck between its leg and torso? And that's before you imagine what basic modifications they could fashion onto these things.

Evocative of the Robocop movie.

They dont.

In what way are they not safe?

Unless you strap a gun to one (which they are not doing afaik) how could they actually cause harm to a human?

It also feels like an alpha test, without risk were it to be conducted on citizens.

ICE manages to harass and detain plenty of citizens.

> will be used in operations deemed unsafe for human agents, like hazardous gas detection, search and rescue, as well as suspicious package investigations

Cyberpunk, albeit a nothing-burger.

These are not the metal-toothed cartoon dogs you so badly want them to be.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com