Korea wants robotic prison guards

[auroraglacialis]

South Korea plans to trial robot prison guards. - Korea Real Time - WSJ

The robots are designed to patrol the corridors of corrective institutions, monitoring conditions inside the cells. If they detect sudden or unusual activity such as violent behavior they alert human guards.

The current plan only talks about them being observers, essentially moving cameras, but I think it will not take long until one of these expensive equipments is attacked and then I can well imagine they will be equipped with "defensive weaponry" like tasers or teargas.

[Advent]

...I don't see the problem, really.

[iron_jones]

Originally Posted by auroraglacialis

but I think it will not take long until one of these expensive equipments is attacked and then I can well imagine they will be equipped with "defensive weaponry" like tasers or teargas.

Oh no... it would defend itself? HOW TERRIBLE! How dare we keep a robotic guard from defending itself from criminals. It's just not right.

Originally Posted by Advent

...I don't see the problem, really.

It's technology.

[Tsyal Makto]

But I bet that "defense" can be switched to "offense" with just an easy flip of a switch.

[iron_jones]

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

But I bet that "defense" can be switched to "offense" with just an easy flip of a switch.

Human jail guards have guns...
What's the difference in a human shooting a criminal and a human telling a robot to. In the end the guard is not in harms ways and the criminal gets shot. We all win.

[iron_jones]

Woah woah woah...

The robots are designed to patrol the corridors of corrective institutions, monitoring conditions inside the cells. If they detect sudden or unusual activity such as violent behavior they alert human guards

They alert the human guards, as in the human guards go in and take care of the situation. What in the hell is the problem with that...

“That’s a concern. But the robots are not terminators. Their job is not cracking down on violent prisoners. They are helpers. When an inmate is in a life-threatening situation or seriously ill, he or she can reach out for help quickly,”

I understand that you think we'd be better living in straw huts and eating our own ****, Aurora, but seriously...

[Tsyal Makto]

Never underestimate the dehumanizing element. Defense is one thing, but what about say...crowd control? Having to face you opponent/target can be a self-regulating factor. It makes you see that you're opponent is human, and you're more likely to treat them as such. Using excessive force can become easier if you're looking at your opponent only through a screen. Hell, we already have a big problem with excessive force as police become more militarized, I hate to see what it's like when we begin to completely remove the human factor and emotion.

TL;DR - It makes using excessive force more likely.

[iron_jones]

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

Defense is one thing, but what about say...crowd control?.

They don't have defense. Read the article. They're basically moving cameras that alert guards of suspicious conduct.

[Advent]

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

Never underestimate the dehumanizing element. Defense is one thing, but what about say...crowd control? Having to face you opponent/target can be a self-regulating factor. It makes you see that you're opponent is human, and you're more likely to treat them as such. Using excessive force can become easier if you're looking at your opponent only through a screen. Hell, we already have a big problem with excessive force as police become more militarized, I hate to see what it's like when we begin to completely remove the human factor and emotion.

Yeah, but it is a prison, and if crowd control needs to be used, that means the prisoners are out of their cells. They're not supposed to go out of them and start riots, you know. People get put in jail for a reason. If a robot has to stop a breakout, or somesuch, like an ordinary guard, then the robot would just be doing it's job.

[Tsyal Makto]

I know it's prison, but this does set a precedent for future deployment on the streets or in police departments (that was the point I was making in the first place). The police was militarized enough as it is, further dehumanization doesn't help the situation.

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Tsyal Makto

But I bet that "defense" can be switched to "offense" with just an easy flip of a switch.

Humans don't even need to be reprogrammed. Someone just needs to say something they dislike to them, or for them to have a bad day, or for them to be violent in nature and take such a job as a consequence of that.

This is a case of people being incapable of understanding what a robot is and being reactionary. These are likely to simply be cameras on tracks on the celling or wheels on the floor that patrol up and down aisles, not androids.
...oh, and they protect prisoners by alerting guards if someone is being beaten up or stabbed. Would you rather they simply let them get on with it instead?

[Aquaplant]

This is one of those instances where technology will not save us from ourselves. Sometimes we develop things to help us deal with the flaws within us, and at times we can be extremely successful at it, but in this case, it just helps dealing with the symptoms, not the problems that causes them.

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

This is one of those instances where technology will not save us from ourselves. Sometimes we develop things to help us deal with the flaws within us, and at times we can be extremely successful at it, but in this case, it just helps dealing with the symptoms, not the problems that causes them.

True AI is very difficult, unfortunately.

[Fkeu'itan]

Originally Posted by iron_jones

Human jail guards have guns...
What's the difference in a human shooting a criminal and a human telling a robot to. In the end the guard is not in harms ways and the criminal gets shot. We all win.

This is true, especially considering everyone in jail is a serial killer.

[iron_jones]

Originally Posted by Fkeu'itan

This is true, especially considering everyone in jail is a serial killer.

I never even made the implication.