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Sex robots could be hijacked by hackers and used to cause harm or even kill people, a cybersecurity expert has warned.
Artificial intelligence researchers have consistently warned of the security risks posed by internet-connected robots, with hundreds recently calling on governments to ban weaponized robots.
The latest warning comes from a cybersecurity expert who made the prophecy to several U.K. newspapers.
“Hackers can hack into a robot or a robotic device and have full control of the connections, arms, legs and other attached tools like in some cases knives or welding devices,” Nicholas Patterson, a cybersecurity lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, told the Star.
“Often these robots can be upwards of 200 pounds and very strong. Once a robot is hacked, the hacker has full control and can issue instructions to the robot. The last thing you want is for a hacker to have control over one of these robots. Once hacked they could absolutely be used to perform physical actions for an advantageous scenario or to cause damage.”
https://www.newsweek.com/hacked-sex-robots-could-murder-people-767386
[Yes, the story is "clickbait-y", but the underlying point still remains that remote access to IoT (Internet of Things) devices could wreak havoc. Do any Soylentils have IoT devices and what, if anything, have you done to provide protection from undesired monitoring or tampering? --Ed.]
(Score: 1) by Gault.Drakkor on Tuesday February 19 2019, @07:32PM
Depends on form factor. A sea cucumber like device that has basic actuators that can allow it to get to its charging station (amongst other actions), will likely be unable to do much harm(choking maybe?).
If a robot can do more then just lie there, ie move to different self supported positions and it can pick up anything, it can do harm. If a robot can do non trivial non single purpose chores, it can do more harm.
Just saying switching materials is not going to change much. I mean really, if a robot can lift itself, it can probably suffocate a person with marshmallow hell.
It is the standard: the greater the tool, the more effective of a weapon it can be.