Post by Mad Scientist on Sept 21, 2017 6:14:44 GMT
Could Hackers Program Sex Robots To Kill?
If you’re thinking about adding a new sex doll to your wishlist this month, you might want to slow your roll. New reports in the New York Post say that hackers could one day possibly program sex robots to kill. Not exactly the main purpose of a sex robot.
Cybersecurity lecturer Dr Nick Patterson from Deakin University told the Daily Star Online that “hackers can hack into a robot or a robotic device and have full control of the connections, arms, legs and other attached tools like in some cases knives or welding devices.”
It’s common to hear about computer and phone hackers, but to be able to gain control over a sex doll? Patterson continued by saying: “Once a robot is hacked, the hacker has full control and can issue instructions to the robot."
"Once hacked they could absolutely be used to perform physical actions for an advantageous scenario or to cause damage.”
It may sound bizarre, but as soon as any type of technology is connected to the Internet, hacking a program is in fact achievable.
Jason McNew, a cybersecurity expert who once worked for the White House Communications Agency, added that while it's possible that sex dolls could be hacked, limitations with its technology means it likely won't do much harm yet.
"A 115 pound [52 kilogram] robot that is covered with silicone won't be able to do much physically," McNew told Cosmopolitan. "Go onto YouTube and search for 'bipedal robots' – robots that can walk on two legs. Look at how heavy, ugly, cumbersome (and expensive) they are with today's technology."
Graham Cluey, a computer analyst commented on the story: “The truth is, all you need is any robot that interacts with a human in the workplace or in the home. It doesn't need to be a sex robot."
Just last month, cybersecurity firm IOActive published a report on the security flaws of home robots and the possibilities of them being hacked. They also revealed that audio and video could be recorded by the hacked robots and transmitted to an outside server.
To add fuel to the fire, billionaire and tech mogul Elon Musk mentioned that artificial intelligence was a great threat to humanity. He said: “I keep sounding the alarm bell, but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react, because it seems so ethereal,”.
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