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Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

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Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#112
post #33
post #11

I can't wait for weapons to be attached to this thing so it can be used against us in the future. Imagine the part where it was spinning, but instead with a firing automatic weapon. What prevents democracy from collapsing when a certain technical elite control the most powerful autonomous weapons and keep tabs on everyone's daily lives?

Probably a few years before they finish developing the flying machines that can be anywhere on the planet within 20 minutes to drop a bomb and obliterate the entire building you're in. Those jet engines they're talking about would be hot enough to melt tungsten, this is just math, it's trivial in comparison. Edit: and don't get me started on the "cruise missiles". 1000 km range and they hit within five meters, and wi…

What are you saying is bullshit? I'm pretty confused.

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#113
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chances are, you don't live in a democracy anyway. Most "western" world is either a representative republic or the same mixed with a monarchy. Switzerland is the only country that gets close to a democracy - they let their citizens vote on many issues.

A representative democracy is still a democracy.

That's technically true (the best kind of true) -- a representative democracy is a republic --, but the problem that the poster was pointing at was that the people are not being actually represented by our elected representatives.

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#114
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait until robot personhood makes disabling one of these things equivalent to murder, then we're in real trouble.

Citizens United (corporate personhood) already has laid the groundwork for that. If a corporation has the same rights as a person and an ai is a representative of said corporation, the ai would be protected under the corporate personhood umbrella.

How many muscles did you pull with that stretch?

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#115
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the short-medium term? It makes it easier for democratic countries to wage war, just or unjust. No more footage of coffins draped in flags coming off transport planes. No more soldiers coming home with PTSD or concussion-induced dementia. Just a bunch of guys in Langley, sitting in their cubicles, killing people on the other side of the world. The domestic propaganda goes down much smoother at this point. After al…

> Just a bunch of guys in Langley, sitting in their cubicles, killing people on the other side of the world. I bet the lag would be terrible. Remember Grace Hopper.

> I bet the lag would be terrible.

I'd guess there's no anti-aimbot code, though.

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#116
post #60
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If one side has the robot army, they'll target the human soldiers on the other side. If both sides have robot armies, they'll probably target one anothers' civilians. Nations are never going to rid themselves of the desire for war, or the need for war to involve bloodshed, because we're just another species of simian bludgeoning the out-group to death with extremely abstract and over-engineered rocks. We already have…

[...] they'll probably target one anothers' civilians. Which would be a first class war crime. Nations are never going to rid themselves of the desire for war, or the need for war to involve bloodshed, because we're just another species of simian bludgeoning the out-group to death with extremely abstract and over-engineered rocks. While that is not an uncommon point of view empirical evidence suggests otherwise, war…

> Which would be a first class war crime.

War crime convictions are for the losing side.

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#117
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Handle looks like it can kick back.

Actually it looks to me as though the legs cannot move sideways at all, only forward/back/up/down. If that's true it would be nearly impossible for Handle to stand on one leg or even raise one leg for long enough to perform a decent kick without falling over.

In the video where Handle is moving in a circle quickly while crouching you can clearly see one leg moving out to the side.

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#118
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably a few years before they finish developing the flying machines that can be anywhere on the planet within 20 minutes to drop a bomb and obliterate the entire building you're in. Those jet engines they're talking about would be hot enough to melt tungsten, this is just math, it's trivial in comparison. Edit: and don't get me started on the "cruise missiles". 1000 km range and they hit within five meters, and wi…

What are you saying is bullshit? I'm pretty confused.

If you want to complain about robot weapons giving people the ability to kill without personal involvement or compunction, you should have complained:

* Ten years ago, when we started arming drone aircraft with anti-tank missiles

* TWenty years ago, when cruise missiles gained active guidance

* Thirty years ago, when we got laser-guided bomb technology working

* Eighty years ago, when radio let commanders give orders to subordinates without seeing their suffering

* A hundred years ago, when artillery gave us the ability to kill tens of thousands of people without them ever leaving their trenches

* Three hundred years ago, when firearms became truly viable and infantrymen could kill their opponent from far enough away that they didn't get blood on them

Don't let the human shape make you afraid. The Terminators had human faces because that made them scary, not because it was effective. People are afraid of these robots because they have two arms and two legs, not because of what they can do, and these fears about "spinning in circles shooting machine guns" are pathetic rationalizations of their loss of reason in the face of emotion.

Re: Introducing Handle – Boston Dynamics [video]

#120
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chances are, you don't live in a democracy anyway. Most "western" world is either a representative republic or the same mixed with a monarchy. Switzerland is the only country that gets close to a democracy - they let their citizens vote on many issues.

A representative democracy is still a democracy.

Is it? When was the last time anybody asked you whether your country should go to war? Or how to spend your taxes?

Finding a representative that you agree with on most (let alone all) issues is pretty much impossible.

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