Bad Robot

A robot rolling around a park just south of Los Angeles risks giving robots a bad name.

The machine, called “HP RoboCop,” is shaped like an egg resembling a streamlined Dalek from Doctor Who, isn’t really a robot as much as a surveillance camera on wheels; right now, it simply tootles along the park’s concrete pathways uttering generic platitudes about good citizenship. Any interaction, like a request for help, requires a call to a human officer’s cellphone, and that functionality isn’t active yet.

As if to add insult to injury, the cost of one of the robots just about equals what that human officer earns in a year.

Folks who work in the park said the visitors feel a bit safer knowing they’re being watched, and kids have fun interacting with it (though usually by mocking the machines). Models in other settings have fallen into fountains and run into children.

It’s not even explained to park visitors — there’s a giant police department badge painted on its side, but no other informative signage — though its inventors promise more communications once it can actually do things.

Any anyway, the company behind it say that’s intentional, since its crime deterrence capabilities — which don’t exist — are enhanced because people don’t know it can’t do anything. Also, having it roll around might one day acclimate residents to the idea that they’re being watched by a machine overlord.

I’m not sure what’s worse for our understanding of how to treat robots: A robot that’s really good at doing things, or one that’s pretty bad?

This essay originally appeared at DaisyDaisy