So far, more than a hundred robotics researchers have signed an open letter opposing joint projects with police institutions. The researchers, who mainly work at US universities, refer to racially motivated killings of citizens by police officers in the US and recognize a “considerable risk” that the technology they helped develop could be misused. The initiators presented the initiative at the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) conference.
As part of des Workshops “Inclusive HRI” Tom Williams of the Colorado School of Mines described how trust in the US law enforcement agencies has been undermined, particularly by recent events. Targeted kills using robots, which are actually intended to investigate and defuse booby traps, are the most discussed cases of misuse of robot technology. In addition to the risk of an increase in the unjustified use of force and police surveillance, particularly against disadvantaged minorities, there are other issues to consider.
harm to research
Im together with Kerstin Haring (University of Denver) written workshop paper further risks of cooperation between researchers and the police are mentioned: Such collaborations could be interpreted as consent to police activities and thus harm research, in that members of minorities in particular are prevented from getting involved in these disciplines. This could further exacerbate the social imbalance.
Williams and Haring refer to the historical origins of the police force, which was primarily used against protests by immigrant workers in the Northeast and against slaves in the South. “The History of American Law Enforcement”, it also says in the open letter entitled “No Justice, No Robots”“has its origins in, and continues to be shaped by, fundamentally racist activities such as the surveillance and persecution of slaves.”
Williams and Haring oppose the current militarization of the police force, arguing that the funds it requires could be better spent on crime prevention, for example by promoting affordable housing, better healthcare and livelihoods. Researchers working in areas that suggest collaboration with law enforcement agencies should consider collaborating with other partners, such as civilian rescue workers or social workers, to achieve their research goals.
(olb)
