Video of a Boston Dynamics Spot robot dog apparently wandering a city street on its own has struck terror into the hearts of social media users — though some defended the ‘bot, pointing out humans can hurt each other without help.
A Canadian Twitter user posted video of the four-legged yellow robot ambling down the sidewalk on Thursday, though it’s not clear where it was actually filmed. The person taking the footage, though initially startled, opts for a friendly approach, addressing the quadruped with “Hello friend!”
The dog-bot turns toward the cameraperson and appears to snap a photo before walking away. Boston Dynamics’ robot dogs have been deployed in Singapore to enforce social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, and some US police departments have acquired their own, causing consternation among civil liberties groups. However, the four-legged model has been available to the public since June for anyone with $74,500 to buy one, meaning this particular Spot might have belonged to a private citizen.
