A woman holds a placard as she participates in a demonstration about the use of robots by the San Francisco Police Department outside City Hall in San Francisco on Monday.
Jeff Chiu/AP
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Jeff Chiu/AP
A woman holds a placard as she participates in a demonstration about the use of robots by the San Francisco Police Department outside City Hall in San Francisco on Monday.
Jeff Chiu/AP
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco supervisors voted Tuesday to block a controversial policy allowing police to use robot for deadly force.
The supervisory board voted unanimously to explicitly ban the use of robots in such a way now. But they have sent the matter back to a committee for further discussion and may allow it under limited circumstances at another time.
It’s a reversal from last week’s vote to allow the use of robots in limited circumstances. Police say they have no plans to arm the robots with guns but want the ability to place explosives on them in exceptional circumstances.
The approval last week has generated outcry and criticism over the possibility of deploying robots that can kill people.
Some supervisors said they felt the public did not have enough time to engage in discussion about whether robots could be used to kill people before the council voted for the first time last week. .
The vote is the result of a new state law that requires police departments to inventory military-grade equipment and seek approval for their use.
The approved policy gives police the power to use robots for situational awareness, such as getting ahead into a dangerous situation so the police can back off.
