Samsung together with Korea university has developed the machine-gun equipped robotic sentry.
It is equipped with two cameras with zooming capabilities one for day time and one for infrared night vision. It has a sophisticated pattern recognition which can detect the difference between humans and trees, and a 5.5mm machine-gun. The robot also has a speaker to warn the intruder to surrender or get a perfect headshot. The robots will go on sale by 2007 for $ 200,000 and will be deployed on the border between North and South Korea. (Gizmondo).
The promotional video reflects a great deal of the lack of reflection among designers and developers – loud music and effects.
A machine is created to kill. No moral dimension – the machine executes commands (sorry bad pun). But what will happen when the software fails? Or even worse when the software works but a situation requiring tact and judgment occurs?
Obviously such a machine will do as it is told. It will be unable to interpret new situations and it will open fire.