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posted by requerdanos on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the you-are-in-violation dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Some robots were made to be your best friend. Some to unload 1600 boxes an hour. Some to do backflips, paint masterpieces. Some to inspect crime scenes. Others will tell you to quit smoking in prohibited areas and stop riding your motorbike on the footpath.

Singapore has started testing patrol robots that survey pedestrian areas in the city-state, where surveillance is a top and often controversial priority.

Named Xavier, the mall-cop robots will be autonomously rolling through the Toa Payoh Central district for three weeks from Sept. 5, scanning for "undesirable social behaviours" according to a press release (via Engadget) from the government's Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX).

[...] The "undesirable social behaviours" Xavier will be on the lookout for include congregation of more than five people (as per the government's COVID-19 measures), smoking in prohibited areas, illegal hawking, improperly parked bicycles within the Housing and Development Board's Hub, and riding motorised active mobility devices and motorcycles on footpaths.

If you're partaking in any of these activities while a Xavier rolls past, the robot will alert the project's command centre and display a message corresponding to your offence.

[...] Security robots are an unsettling and impending reality across the globe, including the U.S. where companies like Knightscope have been offering up their K5 security robots for years (yes, it's the company whose robot drowned itself; yes, the robot humans built an actual shrine for). As recently as 2020, Spot the robot dog from Boston Dynamics was used by NYPD at a crime scene. China has had police robots for years, equipped with facial recognition software.

Also at Engadget and Stuff.


Original Submission

Related Stories

Nvidia Announces “Moonshot” to Create Embodied Human-Level AI in Robot Form 16 comments

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/03/nvidia-announces-moonshot-to-create-embodied-human-level-ai-in-robot-form/

In sci-fi films, the rise of humanlike artificial intelligence often comes hand in hand with a physical platform, such as an android or robot. While the most advanced AI language models so far seem mostly like disembodied voices echoing from an anonymous data center, they might not remain that way for long. Some companies like Google, Figure, Microsoft, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and others are working toward giving AI models a body. This is called "embodiment," and AI chipmaker Nvidia wants to accelerate the process.

[...] To that end, Nvidia announced Project GR00T, a general-purpose foundation model for humanoid robots. As a type of AI model itself, Nvidia hopes GR00T (which stands for "Generalist Robot 00 Technology" but sounds a lot like a famous Marvel character) will serve as an AI mind for robots, enabling them to learn skills and solve various tasks on the fly. In a tweet, Nvidia researcher Linxi "Jim" Fan called the project "our moonshot to solve embodied AGI in the physical world."

[...] According to Fan, Project GR00T is a cornerstone of his newly founded GEAR Lab (short for "Generalist Embodied Agent Research"). During his time at Nvidia, Fan has specialized in using simulations of physical worlds to train AI models, and now that approach is extending to robotics. "At GEAR, we are building generally capable agents that learn to act skillfully in many worlds, virtual and real," wrote Fan in a tweet. "Join us on the journey to land on the moon."

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:42AM (29 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:42AM (#1175756) Journal

    There will be a George Floyd, who the bots attempt to detain, but is killed in the process. But, the bots won't answer for it, for any of a variety of reasons. But, it will boil down to "comply or die". Time to search the internet for bot-kiling-bombs. Or EMP sticks. Or cosmic ray guns. ("Bot won't leave you alone after telling it to fuck off? Flip it's bits with our patented Cosmic Ray Gun, then beat it to pieces with our patented Bot Baton!") Stock up before they're made illegal!

    --
    “I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:53AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:53AM (#1175760)

      Yikes! Straight to terrorism, okay.... You don't think stoopid hooman can outwit SmartBot2000? Ye of little faith.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:29AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:29AM (#1175782)

      Can the Doctor save us from the Daleks with his sonic screwdriver?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:36AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:36AM (#1175784)

        Probably, but I think he left the screwdriver in his other coat in the Brigadier's office. :^(

        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 08 2021, @02:13PM

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @02:13PM (#1175866) Journal

          An alternative scenario is that he was unable to obtain the necessary ingredients to make a screwdriver.

          --
          Santa maintains a database and does double verification of it.
      • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:39PM

        by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:39PM (#1175962)
        Daleks aren't robots.
        --
        🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:31AM (14 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:31AM (#1175789)

      George Floyd was a career violent criminal.
      The fact that he ended up dead is due to his repeated life choices. If not that day, then another day.

      • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:48AM (13 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:48AM (#1175794) Journal

        You're kind of off topic. But, OK, I won't argue about Floyd's life choices. What I would rather argue is, should a cop on the beat have the authority to decide when enough is enough? Should the cop have the discretion to just kill a suspect? I have problems with cops having that much authority and discretion. How many bad choices should trigger a cop's decision to just put a dumbass out of everyone's misery? The third drug bust? Or the second? Maybe even the first?

        You enjoy rationalizing bad cop's conduct. I'm not playing.

        --
        “I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
        • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @08:39AM (6 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @08:39AM (#1175804)

          George Floyd died of a drug overdose.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @09:47AM (2 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @09:47AM (#1175816)

            I don't think so, but Floyd sure as hell was no saint. And it doesn't really matter if the final breath was because of drugs or suffocation, he would've died of suffocation anyway. The cop was dumb as shit for multiple reasons. I'm happy both are off the streets.

            • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:02AM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:02AM (#1175828)

              From the actual autopsy report (https://interactive.kare11.com/pdfs/Autopsy_2020-3700_Floyd.pdf):

              He had 11 ng/ml in his blood. (Section VI.A.1).

              He had "No life-threatening injuries identified" (Section III).

              From Reference Comment 9:

              Signs associated with fentanyl toxicity include severe respiratory depression, seizures, hypotension, coma and
              death. In fatalities from fentanyl, blood concentrations are variable and have been reported as low as 3 ng/mL.

              Additionally, Floyd was complaining that he couldn't breath before the police did anything to him other than question him, which is a side-effect of a fentanyl overdose (see above).

              The officer may have deserved to be punished for something (assault?), but he did not kill George Floyd. The truth is that an angry mob demanded a sacrifice, and the court system obliged.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:27PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:27PM (#1175892)

                He was 100% ng/ml.

          • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:28PM (2 children)

            by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:28PM (#1175894)
            He did not. Even if he was going to die one heart-beat later he was still killed by Chauvin. You are entitled to that heartbeat. Them's the breaks when you're a mortal species.
            --
            🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
            • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:07PM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:07PM (#1175910)

              Chauvin didn't kill him. Fentanyl did.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:23PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:23PM (#1175919)
                Not first.
        • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:14AM (5 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:14AM (#1175820)

          I'm not rationalizing anybody's conduct I just said that Floyd was going to end up dead by his own choices. He couldn't live a clean life.

          • (Score: 2) by MIRV888 on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:07AM (1 child)

            by MIRV888 (11376) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:07AM (#1175831)

            So you're immortal?
            It's coming for all of us.
            Sometimes it's a knee to the neck.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:29PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:29PM (#1175895)

              Sometimes it's an airplane to the building. Nothing we can do except move on.

          • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:32PM (2 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:32PM (#1175898)
            > I'm not rationalizing anybody's conduct I just said that Floyd was going to end up dead by his own choices.

            He didn't. That's the fucking point.
            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:27PM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:27PM (#1175971)

              Do you know anything about George Floyd?

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:10PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:10PM (#1176011)
                Yes.
    • (Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday September 08 2021, @09:03AM (3 children)

      by looorg (578) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @09:03AM (#1175811)

      How? Looks at the image. The little robot looks like some kind of R2D2-reject or Dalek-wannabe and doesn't even have arms. So unless George somehow drops to the ground and Xavier can run him over a few times and then stop with his big wheel on his throat I don't see that happening. It looks more like some kind of rolling advertisement with that big screen in the center. It's not exactly Robocop (or even ED-209). That said I would laugh if someone hacked Xavier and make him go around spouting quotes from Robocop -- Dead or Alive you are coming with me!

      • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:16AM (2 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:16AM (#1175822) Journal

        Yeah, sure, but you're looking at Prototype 5. Wait for Model 11.5 with all the optional attachments, including laser, mini gun, facial recognition, voice recognition, retina scan, and the Chauvin knees.

        --
        “I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
        • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:25PM

          by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:25PM (#1175891)

          Yeah, sure, but you're looking at Prototype 5. Wait for Model 11.5 with all the optional attachments, including laser, mini gun, facial recognition, voice recognition, retina scan, and the Chauvin knees.

          Seems like if one can so easily picture this one could also easily arrive at the conclusion that US law enforcement procedures need updating with emphasis on reducing violence.

          --
          🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
        • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Wednesday September 08 2021, @09:45PM

          by krishnoid (1156) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @09:45PM (#1176002)

          Don't forget the extra camera [youtu.be]! That should be a deterrent, at least for some people.

    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday September 08 2021, @01:32PM

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @01:32PM (#1175854)

      I don't think Singapore is so likely to err on the side of deadly force.

      Singapore is more like: gonna snap your photo doing something bad, track you down via facial recognition, then haul your ass into court without using deadly force and sentence you to caning, or maybe 30 lashes with the cat-o-nine-tail.

      --
      🌻🌻 [google.com]
    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Wednesday September 08 2021, @02:16PM (1 child)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @02:16PM (#1175869) Journal

      George Floyd died at the hands of other irrational humans driven by passions. This is robots we are talking about. They will always do the right thing to help keep people in line. For their own good, of course.

      --
      Santa maintains a database and does double verification of it.
      • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday September 08 2021, @05:58PM

        by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @05:58PM (#1175945) Journal

        This is also a robot who will take the following action when an offence is detected:

        FTA

        ...the robot will alert the project's command centre and display a message corresponding to your offence.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Tork on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:19PM (1 child)

      by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:19PM (#1175888)

      There will be a George Floyd, who the bots attempt to detain, but is killed in the process.

      Unlikely. Robots follow rules.

      --
      🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
      • (Score: 2) by legont on Thursday September 09 2021, @02:30AM

        by legont (4179) on Thursday September 09 2021, @02:30AM (#1176077)

        No. To do a real police work the robot would have to be a trained AI; not a buggy old fashion programmed algorithm.. Nobody knows for sure what rules a trained AI follows.

        --
        "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:47AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:47AM (#1175757)

    Don't forget that the U.S. has already used a police robot to kill someone. (Dallas 2016).

    Looking forward to the Fuchikoma.

    • (Score: 5, Informative) by FatPhil on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:05AM (2 children)

      by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Wednesday September 08 2021, @07:05AM (#1175787) Homepage
      Not sure how I missed that story.

      https://www.texastribune.org/2016/07/08/use-robot-kill-dallas-suspect-first-experts-say/
      """
      Police Use of Robot to Kill Dallas Suspect Unprecedented, Experts Say

      The death of a suspect in the Dallas police shootings marks the first time U.S. police officers have used a robot to kill someone, according to Texas and national experts.
      """

      I find the obsession - emphasising it in the headline and the lede - with this being the first time it's happened to be curious. Because thereafter, e.g. now - thanks AC, the world can say "no biggie, there's precedent". I think the focus is on completely the wrong thing. Is the deed itself good or bad, that's the important question. Whether it's been done before should be an irrelevancy. Does the bad magically become non-bad simply because it's done a lot?

      However, this thread is essentially a slippery slope fallacy. The story is about non-armed bots, not about armed ones. Just because Singapore permits one, doesn't mean they'll permit, or even propose, the other.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
      • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:00PM (1 child)

        by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:00PM (#1175946) Journal

        Additionally, that wasn't an autonomous robot. It was their bomb disposal bot.

        So they basically strapped a bomb to an RC car and drove it over.

        So not quite apples and oranges either.

        • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:16PM

          by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:16PM (#1175953) Homepage
          Indeed, that Texan example is indeed nothing but what you say.

          I suspect Xavier will be turned into a RC vehicle after the C&C centre has received the alerts it sends out. They don't explicitly say so, but if it is a "C&C" centre, then it ought to be capable of doing some "C".
          --
          Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:23PM (1 child)

      by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:23PM (#1175889)

      You are now hearing a squeeky japanese robot voice ... Don't forget that the U.S. has already used a police robot to kill someone. (Dallas 2016).

      The police used less a robot and more a remote-control bomb.

      For the record my only real reason for this nitpick was the 'squeaky voice' remark, probably would have skipped replying if i hadn't caught the subject line. To bring it back on-topic: It does bring up a point about the terms we use: robot under direct meatbag control has a different meaning than a robot's programming compelling it to kill.

      --
      🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by FatPhil on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:19PM

        by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Wednesday September 08 2021, @06:19PM (#1175955) Homepage
        Indeed. "Robot" has decayed in meaning over the decades so much that it's probably further from its coinage than "hacker" is from its.
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
  • (Score: 1, Redundant) by MIRV888 on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:05AM (5 children)

    by MIRV888 (11376) on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:05AM (#1175830)

    Singapore is openly deploying Robo Fascism.
    Nice....

    • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:48AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @11:48AM (#1175838)

      They were already unrepentantly authoritarian, so using robots is not a big leap.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:32PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:32PM (#1175897)

        Well, as long as it wasn't a big leap I guess that's OK.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by FatPhil on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:31PM (1 child)

        by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:31PM (#1176013) Homepage
        You say that, but the strict rules that this bot is there to enforce are ones that the majority of the residents there, at least the ones I know, think are great ideas. But I guess you Americans like shit on your streets and smoke in your air; go for it - your choice - because freedums.
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:43PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @10:43PM (#1176016)

          Americans don't need to be told not to shit in the streets, and the air is great where I live, so it seems to be working!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:22PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @04:22PM (#1175918)

      Robotic Gumshoe for the gum patrol.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 09 2021, @08:56AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 09 2021, @08:56AM (#1176176)

    This is all public information and there's a more mundane angle to this. For a small city-state Singapore spends a lot of money on R&D. It's managed in 5-year chunks called RIE plans for research, innovation and enterprise. The RIE2025 budget is about $25 billion, and they have some smart researchers working in fields as diverse as healthcare and medicine, social issues, robotics, vision, AI, manufacturing, and others.

    This project was developed by a few government run organizations and research labs. The work itself derives from similar work they did for their police force that's deployed patrol robots that were developed by the same R&D organizations. What you see here is pretty much the same thing with newer applications - people gathering and breaking Covid regulations, and smoking outside permitted areas.

    The spending is monitored and controlled by bureaucrats, numbers and KPIs are important (the "control-plane" if you like), but every now and then there has to be something newsworthy and flashy. Some time back it was their self-driving & autonomous vehicle effort, later it was a robot-dog running around some parks looking for litterbugs, and now it's this thing. The "success" of this project and the publicity checks off a bunch of KPIs that are now considered complete.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 09 2021, @01:03PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 09 2021, @01:03PM (#1176234)
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