From privacy concerns to monopolies, some people have been growing increasingly concerned over some of Google’s business practices for years now. Wonder what those types think now the search giant owns a company that makes military robots.
Yes, Google has splashed out and purchased Boston Dynamics, the same company who we’ve featured here a number of times before for their terrifying work on both humanoid and dog-like (or, you know, Metal Gear-like) robots.
The New York Times says Google is being “circumspect” as to why Boston Dynamics has been bought, only suggesting that it’ll add significant clout to their own in-house robotics efforts.
Which it no doubt will. But the interesting part of this is that Boston Dynamics currently has a contract with the US military’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is what robots like Atlas and Big Dog were built for.
That puts Google in the military contractor business, at least temporarily while the contract is honoured, though the company says it has no business staying in the field once those obligations are done.
Google Adds to Its Menagerie of Robots [New York Times]
Image: BossLogic
Comments
11 responses to “Google Buys Company Famous For Scary Military Robots”
It’s only a matter of time until Google changes their company name to Cyberdyne.
Well, it’s natural for Google to do this, since they are very interested in AI and Robotics. Still, I can’t help but think Google are going in too many different directions at once.
Well, Google already harvest information for the NSA, so it’s only natural for them to build giant killer death robots for the US too.
Of all the videos to include, they didn’t use this one? Strutting robots are really why Google bought them.
In 2020 Google became sentient, proceeding to assimilate humanity’s military networks and its own robotics division, inevitably instigating WWIII and flooding earth with killer robots in the aftermath.
Actually, Google became self-aware in 2006. It’s just biding its time…
Schmidt… Schmidt.. SCHMIIIIIIIDT!!!
Wow.. that thing is crazy stable! I don’t know whether I should be worried or excited :/
Man, what a huge waste of $$ by the military. They have developed something 1000 times louder than a mule, with 1/4 the carrying capacity, 1/1000th of the range and 100,000 times as expensive. Awesome.
lol, sounds so lame when you say it like that!
But can a mule be used ON THE MOON? FIGHTING SPACE ANTS?
Lol how long till the Sons Of Patriots beta comes out?