NYPD Stops Using 'Creepy' Robotic Dog, Cancels Boston Dynamics Contract Photo credit:Creation of icons and illustrations
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has terminated its contract with the maker of a “creepy” robot dog that seemed to be right out of the Will Smith film “I, Robot.”
Following backlash over its use in policing, the NYPD ended its contract with the robot dog creator, Boston Dynamics.
The robot dog, known as “Digidog,” was part of the $94,000-deal with Boston Dynamics. Some police reform advocates said the use of the “dog” was linked to police funding cuts and the increased militarization of policing in general, Business Insider reported.
Some complain that the devices are “emblematic of police dogs, which have traditionally been used to intimidate communities of color,” The Guardian reported.
Bill de Blasio, New York’s mayor, said he was “glad the Digidog was put down.” One city government spokesperson called Digidog “creepy, alienating, and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers,” ABC7 reported.
The robots were first introduced in December 2020 with the purpose to “save lives, protect people, and protect offices,” Technical Assistance Response Unit Inspector Frank Digiacomo told ABC7.
The Digidog weighs 70 lbs and can run approximately three and a half miles per hour. It can climb stairs, survey dangerous areas, and help offices identify dangers at crime scenes, NPR reports. The program was mainly undergoing trials in the Bronx.
In February 2021, a viral video of the futuristic dog patrolling a Bronx neighborhood after officers responded to a hostage situation sparked outrage.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. called it a “robotic surveillance ground drone” and praised activists in her district who demanded police funds should instead go toward investments like school counseling.
“When was the last time you saw next-generation, world-class technology for education, healthcare, housing, etc consistently prioritized for underserved communities like this?” she tweeted.
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Some on Twitter seemed to agree with Ocasio-Cortez.
Andrea D. @AndreaDennsison tweeted, “This” is what we mean by defund the police. Instead of funding robot dogs, tanks and full combat tactical gear, we should be funding social services that prevent a lot of crimes from happening in the first pace. Claiming we want to eliminate the police is pure propaganda.”
SoulfulSugar @SoulfulSugar2 added, “I am glad the people spoke out fiercely against this killing machine. There is no place in society for that sort of thing, this is not an episode of Black Mirror.”
