Robot dog Spot from Boston Dynamics was taught to pee beer on command
Teaching a robot to defecate beer is better than giving him a weapon
Robot dog Spot from Boston Dynamics exists in two realities. On the one hand, this terrifying harbinger a dystopian future where robots hunt and kill people. On the other hand, it is a toy of youtubers who teach this four-legged robot "piss beer" on command.
The latest example comes from talented, creative, piss-focused YouTuber Michael Reeves, who managed to get his hands on the device before using his technical knowledge and dirty mind to turn Spot into the perfect drinking buddy. With some quick code and a few inches of tubing, Spot can identify glass on the floor, position himself above them, and jet. urine beer in a waiting container. This is the future that Isaac Asimov could only dream of.
As Reeves points out in the video, this is hardly a flawless product. “The pissing bot only works well 35 percent of the time,” he says. But it's still amazing stuff.
Boston Dynamics is a firm that has previously worked to tightly control video footage of its cars and their reception to the public. However, after Spot became commercially available , he had to relinquish some of that control, leading to instances where his equipment was being used in ways that he did not approve of (e.g., equipping Spot with a paintball gun ). This includes serious military use. When we reported on the French Army's use of Spot in simulated combat exercises on last week, Boston Dynamics told us that it was not aware of these specific tests (although it was aware that the French military had access to its vehicles). Won't wider access to Spot create more problems for the company in the future?
Spot is definitely not easy to get. The piece of iron costs $75000 a piece. But it is clearly much more accessible than a year ago. Not only could this create publicity problems for Boston Dynamics, it could also cause significant compliance issues. How well does the company keep track of its robots and how they are being used? What happens if someone uses it incorrectly? He must not end up in the hands of an evil genius in order to be harmed. people.
So, right now, Spot exists in two realities: as a threat and as a joke. What happens if the line between them blurs?