Rapid advances in AI and robotics are going to become powerful tools for police and powerful weapons for criminals, 48-pages report Europol, the pan-European police agency, argues. Earlier this month, Europol’s Innovation Lab published “The Unmanned Future: The Impact of Robotics and Unmanned Systems on Law Enforcement.” The document is designed more as a “foresight” exercise than a hard prediction. It depicts the near future of 2035, where intelligent machines are everywhere from homes, hospitals and factories to police stations, shops and schools.
Researchers at the Hague-based organization, which is effectively the EU-version of the global police agency Interpol, imagine hypothetical scenarios such as widespread outrage over job losses and automation, civil unrest, “bot-bashing” and populist riots demanding to “put people first” in society. Another underlines looming questions such as whether people will ultimately view killing robots as some kind of abuse — an argument that has already been broken down. many Times on robot dogs – which, if left unresolved, could lead to tensions between police and the public.
“…We have to ask ourselves how criminals and terrorists might use drones and robots a few years from now.”
On the other hand, Europol’s predictions suggest that ubiquitous robots of the future will also be perpetrators of crime. Care robots, such as those used in hospitals or homes for disabled or elderly people, can be hijacked to spy on families, obtain sensitive information, and even manipulate victims or children into grooming. The report warns that autonomous vehicles or drones could also be hacked, leak sensitive data or be used as physical weapons. The report speculates that swarms of drones, possibly brought in from war zones like Ukraine, could be used by terrorists to attack cities, by rival gangs to fight over territory with homemade explosives, or by other bad actors to monitor police activity and gain an edge over law enforcement.
The report continues to theorize, suggesting that future robots could give police a tough time. “Asking them questions” could be a nightmare, and researchers warn that it will be hard to distinguish “between intentional and accidental behavior” when bots behave badly, noting that police are already facing difficulties in accidents involving driverless cars. The researchers imagine that police seizing rogue robots with “robofreeze guns” and using “traps with built-in grenades” to trap drones will not eliminate the threat. Once inside police facilities, the robots can “record, steal, destroy, or escape,” the researchers say.
As far-fetched as some of these predictions may seem, Europol does not believe they are that far from the goal of its vision for 2035. An unnamed Europol spokesperson told Wire The agency “cannot predict the future” but tried to “anticipate possible future scenarios that will enable us to make more informed decisions today.” Europol did not respond The VergeRequest for interview.
“If you have a policeman who barely uses a device like a drone, you cannot compete with a skilled enemy.”
Researchers say the signs are already here. Traffickers of drugs and other contraband already use drones and autonomous vehicles in their operations – prisons are one OftenTarget and remember Starlink equipped narco submarine– and there are terrorists are showing signs of doing the sameThe market for drone pilots advertising their skills to criminals online is also growing, the report claims, The report recommends that in the future police will need increased funding for training and education in relevant areas, access to the latest technology and a shift from “2D to 3D policing” (due to drones) to combat criminals,
Catherine de Bolle, Executive Director of Europol, writes,
“The integration of unmanned systems into crime is already here, and we need to ask ourselves how criminals and terrorists might be using drones and robots a few years from now. Just as the internet and smartphones have presented significant opportunities as well as challenges, so will this technology. Our new report from Europol’s Innovation Lab explores the future operating environment for European law enforcement agencies to effectively combat crime while maintaining public trust and fundamental rights. Suggests actions needed to be taken today.”
robotics expert The Verge Those interviewed were less sure about what kind of rapid progress Europol researchers envision, or whether technology itself is the main problem. Martim Brandão, lecturer in robotics and autonomous systems at King’s College London, says it’s certainly plausible to imagine issues like surveillance and blackmailing around hacked care or home robots, given their numbers and dependence on the internet. Similar events to pass already occurred“I’m not as confident about other predictions,” he says, such as terrorist attacks using drones or violent human reactions to machine automation, explaining that he is not aware of evidence supporting the claims,
Given the speed at which new technology is developing, “it is difficult to make predictions about the year 2035,” says Giovanni Luca Masala, a roboticist and lecturer in computer science at the University of Kent in England. He says adoption is not just about technology. It also depends on “markets, costs, the ability to produce en masse,” all of which could hinder the robotic progress envisioned in Europol’s report.
That said, Masala says he agrees with the overall recommendations of Europol researchers. “One way or another, criminals will use any kind of new technology,” he says, adding that society needs to invest in police equipment and training for AI, robotics and cybersecurity. “Because if you have a policeman who barely uses a device like a drone, you can’t compete with a skilled enemy.”
But despite all the speculation about how police and criminals might use robots in the future, Brandão believes the Europol report ignores one of the most important issues we’re going to face: holding police accountable. “The reports talk about the potential for privacy and security issues of home robots to be exploited by potential criminals, which I agree with, but they don’t talk about the potential for police forces to invade privacy and create security vulnerabilities.” Given the “numerous cases of police misconduct and discriminatory surveillance,” he says, it’s important to consider those risks as well. “I am more concerned about police and intelligence agencies exploiting the vulnerabilities of robots than terrorists, especially given the ongoing authoritarian transitions around the world.”
