Boston Dynamics' push for the Responsible Robotics Act

• Boston Dynamics is spearheading legislation to prevent robot weaponisation.
• The Act aims to ensure responsible use of robotics as they become more prevalent in society.

In the early 20th century, an automobile cruising down a street often required a person walking ahead of the vehicle with a red flag to warn pedestrians. Today, we are on the cusp of a similar revolution with regards to robotics, and at the forefront of the change in attitudes is Boston Dynamics, a company that has captured the public imagination with its remarkably-agile robots like Spot and Atlas.

As these mechanical marvels transition from viral video sensations to practical tools in industry, Boston Dynamics is pushing the boundaries of what’s technologically possible and taking steps to address the ethical implications of widespread robot adoption. One initiative is the company’s championing of the Responsible Robotics Act, a piece of legislation it’s promoting in collaboration with lawmakers and civil liberties advocates. 

The birth of the Responsible Robotics Act

During a recent interview at Boston Dynamics’ headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, Brendan Schulman, the company’s Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, shed light on the legal framework. “We’ve been working roughly for the past year and a half, starting in our home state of Massachusetts, to develop what’s called the Responsible Robotics Act,” Schulman explained. 

The Responsible Robotics Act aims to establish a framework for the safe and ethical use of advanced robotics technologies. This legislation would be the first of its kind in the United States. The bill prohibits the manufacture, sale, use, or operation of weaponised robotic devices or drones and a ban on the use of robots to threaten or harass individuals. 

It includes exemptions for the US Department of Defense, military contractors, and companies with special waivers for testing anti-weaponisation technologies. The Act also allows bomb squads to continue using advanced robots for public safety purposes, such as disabling suspected explosives. 

The Act clarifies that warrants are required for robots to enter private property, except in emergencies, mirroring existing rules for law enforcement officers.  “This is a bill that Representative Sabadosa and Senator Moore are sponsoring,” Schulman said. The proposed law, which Boston Dynamics helped develop in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, aims to prohibit the weaponisation of robots and drones. 

Balancing innovation and safety: The Act’s key provisions

Elaborating on the core principles of the legislation, Schulman said, “If you take a robot, like Boston Dynamics’ Spot or anything else, and put a weapon on it – which is defined in the Act as a device designed or intended to harm or kill – you are in violation.” The need for such legislation has become increasingly apparent as robots become more accessible and capable. 

Schulman cited instances where off-the-shelf robots have been weaponised, with videos of armed robots going viral and raising alarm among the public. “Although there have just been a few cases of

that, it’s been an alarming trend,” he noted. However, the Act is carefully crafted to balance public safety concerns with legitimate uses of robotic technologies. 

He pointed out that the bill contains narrow exceptions: “There are exemptions for the bomb squad. I think people recognise that having a robot disable a suspected bomb is a useful public safety operation.” Additionally, the bill does not cover military applications, which are governed by existing federal and international laws. 

Beyond Massachusetts: A broader push for responsible robotics

Schulman emphasised that the Responsible Robotics Act is not confined to Massachusetts, and Boston Dynamics is actively working to introduce similar legislation in other states. “We have a very similar bill pending in California, with Assembly Member Akilah Weber as the author,” Schulman said. “We also had a similar bill that we worked on and helped introduce in New York State.”

The company’s efforts to promote responsible robotics extend beyond state legislatures. Schulman revealed that he has also been engaging with international bodies: “I was in Geneva for the past two years. I’ve gone to the AI for Good summit in Geneva and spoken with folks in the United Nations and the Member States to determine if we can work on the weaponisation concern together. Let’s have a global framework to address that.”

Schulman’s view is that as robots become more integrated into various aspects of society, from industrial inspections to public safety operations, the need for clear guidelines and regulations becomes crucial. “We still have much work to do. The process of working with government, stakeholders in society, with folks at United Nations, federal government, state and local government – we have concerns about how law enforcement uses robotics,” he said.

When asked how Boston Dynamics ensures that customers don’t use the company’s robots for the wrong reasons, Schulman said, “We’re still at a scale where we know our customers well. Each of those customers is someone we’ve gotten to know, and we’ve talked to them about their plans with the robot. What are you planning to do?”

Schulman acknowledged that relying solely on company oversight isn’t sufficient as the technology becomes more widespread. “I think the reason we’re working on this legislation […] as a matter of public policy, is it’s not, in the long run, feasible for any manufacturer to know what its customers are doing; [to] police the technology.”

By taking the lead in developing the legislation, Boston Dynamics is demonstrating a commitment to responsible innovation while continuing to push the boundaries of robotics technology. As Schulman put it, “We want to make sure that this is a tool that’s going to be used to help people and not hurt them.”

As the Responsible Robotics Act moves through various state legislatures, it may well set a precedent for how society manages the integration of increasingly capable robots into everyday life. Just as we now take the safety measures and regulations that govern automobile use for granted, future generations may look back on this Act as a crucial step in ensuring the safe and beneficial coexistence of humans and robots.