Boston Dynamics makes those cute little robot dogs that amaze and amuse us in videos like this one. How could anyone possibly object to something so endearing?
📌 The Core Development
When it was revealed recently that four of its robot dogs have been acquired by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for $1.3 million, many workers at Boston Dynamics were aghast. The four machines have been specially modified to include a robotic arm, thermal camera, and sensors for explosive materials.
They were not sold directly by Boston Dynamics but rather by a Connecticut company known as RADeCO, which markets the modified robots under the trade name Cerebus . In Greek mythology, Cerebus is the three headed dog that guards the gates of hell. How charming. While the contract from ICE is with RADeCO, Boston Dynamics is directly involved with technical support.
🔍 Background & Sector Context
Boston Dynamics is 100 percent owned by Hyundai, by the way. So now a South Korean company that was humiliated by ICE agents a year ago when hundreds of its employees and sub-contractors were arrested, placed in handcuffs, and frog marched onto buses as undesirable aliens, is supplying ICE with advanced robots so it can better pursue its campaign of terror all across America. Greed conquers all, apparently.
In a letter to top executives reviewed by the Boston Globe , hundreds of Boston Dynamics employees said they are “uncomfortable” with the deal, and warned it could hurt the company’s reputation and workforce. “We cannot be proud of working at BD when that work is being used by a government agency that brutalizes civilians.”
📊 Industry & Real-World Impact
In the letter, they expressed concerns that they will be seen by their family, friends, and community as “working directly with ICE. “Many of us have gotten messages from friends and family, asking us in disbelief and horror if this news is true, and how we can live with ourselves if it is.” The letter says the risks for Boston Dynamics are “simply too great to continue with this deal. We fear we will lose teammates over this decision, and worry about the risk it creates to achieve our shared company goals.”
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🔮 Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
In response, the company issued a statement saying the purpose of the robots is to keep people safe, and that the Department of Homeland Security must follow the company’s terms and conditions, which prohibit weaponization of the robots or using them for harm or intimidation. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told The Globe the robot “provides law enforcement officers with an additional tool to safely assess potentially dangerous situations before placing personnel or the public at risk.”
Anyone who thinks ICE will adhere to any guidelines is a fool. Ask the heirs of Alex Pretti and Rene Good if they think ICE agents can be trusted to act appropriately. Just this week, Pretti’s parents spoke publicly about their son’s execution by ICE in January. At a press conference , they said the federal government had not provided them with meaningful information about his death. “At every turn, they have ignored us, misled us, and shielded Alex’s killers,” said Michael Pretti. “We are a family who love this country. We trust in the institutions of this country. We believe in the rule of law — and that people should be held accountable through that law.”
