The City Council of San Francisco, California, has refrained from passing a proposal that the city’s law enforcement would use lethal robots, but has not completely rejected the idea, which is better considered by the committee.

These “killer robots”, which will be used in some extreme situations, such as terrorist attacks or mass shootings, sparked a heated debate in the US city council, which last week called for their use.

“Last week, despite my moral inhibitions, I supported the law, but during this week I stopped feeling good about it. I don’t believe remote-controlled armed robots will make us safer,” San Francisco City Council member Gordon Marr said Tuesday.

The city council eventually backed down, passing a law allowing the San Francisco police to acquire military equipment, but not robots. This proposal will be considered by the committee and subject to a new vote.

Many opponents of the proposal criticized the measure, fearing that it would increase police brutality. During the meeting of the city council, many protesters entered the hall with banners.

Earlier Tuesday, dozens of people protested in front of San Francisco City Hall, holding signs saying “don’t give the police new weapons” or “killer robots are not the answer.”

“The use of robots in potentially lethal situations is a last resort,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said in early December.

“We live in an era where mass violence is becoming more and more common,” he added. “We need this option to save lives when such tragedies occur in our city,” he said.

The San Francisco Police already have several robots that they can control remotely, and they are used when officers need to keep their distance until the place is safe, such as during a bomb alert.

The new measure would allow the use of robots to plant “explosives” capable of “neutralizing or disorienting an armed, violent or dangerous suspect who threatens to take his life,” police said.

Source: RES-IPE