WE MADE THEM!!!

robots are failing and are hurting people.

AN ever increasing list of robot-related accidents has experts questioning whether the devices will be prone to more dangerous malfunctions or even programmed attacks.

Some notable accidents which has been documented includes a robotic security guard knocking over a child at a California shopping mall, a demonstration robot smashing a window at a Chinese conference—it caused a bystander to get injured, and also a 144 deaths has been recorded in the United States caused by robotic surgery. Did we make them to hurt and destroy or we made them for accuracy?

These incidents “clearly demonstrate the serious potential consequences of robot malfunctions,” the consultancy says in a white paper it recently published about existing security

PEOPLE COULD USE THIS AGAINST PEOPLE

Alexander Reben, a roboticist and artist, has built a tabletop robot whose sole mechanical purpose is to hurt people. Reben hopes his Frankenstein gets people talking.

Although, the harm caused by Reben’s robot is nothing more than a pinprick, however one delivered at high speed, causing the maximum amount of pain a small needle can inflict on a fingertip.

And interestingly, he designed the machine so that injury is inflicted randomly. Sometimes the robot strikes. Sometimes it doesn’t. Even Reben, when he exposes his fingertip to danger, has no idea if he’ll end up shedding blood or not.

“No one’s actually made a robot that was built to intentionally hurt and injure someone,” Reben claims in a giant room on the top floor of the beautiful Victorian mansion where he lives and works as a member of Stochastic Labs, a Berkeley arts, technology, and science events incubator. “I wanted to make a robot that does this that actually exists…That was important to, to take it out of the thought experiment realm into reality, because once something exists in the world, you have to confront it. It becomes more urgent. You can’t just pontificate about it.”

 “With increasingly autonomous technology, it might make more sense to view robots as analogous to animals, whose behavior we also can’t always anticipate.”

Better, he says, to leave such things to the art world, where “people have open minds.”

Given that his robot isn’t ripping people’s arms off, or smashing anyone to little bits, it’s likely that there won’t be much outrage, at least not the kind that would result if his machine was causing severe harm. OH! Right, sorry I forgot that in the movies, they have to wait for the aliens to strike before action is taken. So my dear readers, let’s all fold our hands and put on big smiles.

He has been acutely aware that people are increasingly afraid of robots–either because they pose some sort of theoretical physical danger to us or because they’re seen by many to be marching toward replacing us. “Robots are going to take over,” or “Robots are going to take our jobs” are common refrains these days.

scary robot scenarios

One of the big problems is the number of sensors at play in current robots. Microphones and cameras, along with network connections and external services, add to vulnerabilities. Remote control, for example, should be secure in order to stop malicious commands getting sent to the robots. Havoc could ensue if robots aren’t secured better, the firm claims.

And it could be dire. In the case of a home robot, the house could be physically damaged if the robot were hacked. And worse “compromised robots could even hurt family members and pets with sudden, unexpected movements,” the company says.

Kitchen fires and poisoned drinks are further scenarios posed by the security firm. “Family members and pets could be in further peril if a hacked robot was able to grab and manipulate sharp objects,” the researchers say.

Less dramatic, but equally problematic, would be robots unlocking doors—allowing the bad guys in. The robot might not even have to perform the physical act; it could simply tell a home automation voice assistant, such as Alexa or Google, to turn off the security system while the property owners are out.

In business, the potential problems are equally alarming: “A hacked robot could be made to use inappropriate language” and deliver wrong orders. It could also physically damage business assets through set fires or pilfer bank card data.

Robots are currently used to assist customers at stores and are increasingly expected to be a part of future healthcare, among other uses.

Security audits, Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) processes, encryption and secure default configurations are among the measures robot manufacturers must take, the researchers say.

Industrial-sized robots could be the most trouble of all because of their size, IOActive claims.

“A hacked industrial robot could easily become a lethal weapon,” the company says.

And it could get sinister, too.

“Similar incidents could be caused by a robot controlled remotely by attackers,” it says. “We’ve found [existing] robot technology to be insecure in a variety of ways, and that insecurity could pose serious threats to the people, animals and organizations.”

The company’s findings include 50 cybersecurity vulnerabilities discovered in current robotic products, such as unencrypted control communications, authentication problems such as not requiring a valid username and password, and insufficient authorization that could allow hackers to overwrite firmware.