Delivery robots are now being robbed for food and other items in some cities where they have been introduced. Is robot security catching up?
  • Uriel238 [all pronouns]@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    899·
    1 year ago

    My (unpopular?) solution is to make sure the rest of society isn’t so desperate for food that they’re willing to rob a robot.

    In an unrelated suggestion, if youre in a grocery store and see someone stealing food, no you didn’t.

    • FredericChopin_@feddit.ukEnglish
      81·
      1 year ago

      It really pissed me off how people don’t seem to realise that most crime is due to a failure of society and that if we give people prospects then crime will go down.

    • SuckMyWang@lemmy.worldEnglish
      52·
      1 year ago

      Pretty sure Uber will just rig the robots with C4 when someone tries to steal the food. And then monetize the video of it on you tube. And garnish the cost of maintaining the deceased persons tombstone.

      • hedgehog@ttrpg.networkEnglish
        01·
        1 year ago

        Later, Uber would be sued for not actually providing the tombstones and for over-charging for them when they were provided.

        They would counter that they had contracted a third party, X, to provide the tombstones, on behalf of the deceased, and had merely paid the invoices on the deceaseds’ behalfs, and that X, not Uber, would be liable for any failure to provide said tombstones or to have over-billed for them.

        Years later, Uber would “lose” the case and would be ordered to send $3.50 to anyone who had sent them payments for tombstones between the years of 2024 and 2026, and $43.8 million to the attorneys on the case. They would also be required to set up a free tombstone check account for anyone who requested one in lieu of that payment, but they would only give 30 days to claim the account and would send it with a spammy sounding title like “Claim your free account now!” ensuring that only 4% of the eligible people actually managed to claim one.

        Overall Uber will have made $418 million profit from their burial and tombstone billing service.

    • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      01·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think that’s at all unpopular, don’t a lot of beauty pageant women say how they want to end world hunger or poverty

  • Heisme@lemmy.worldEnglish
    481·
    1 year ago

    Everyday we are one step closer to the plot of Demolition Man. I cannot wait to taste some boosted Taco Bell.

      • Followupquestion@lemm.eeEnglish
        6·
        1 year ago

        They’re bidet controls. One would be for front wash, another for rear wash, and the third one for air dry. There may be temperature controls hidden somewhere nearby, or more likely the system recognizes the user and automatically uses those temperature settings, and the seashells are just gussied up push buttons.

  • can@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    43·
    1 year ago

    “The robots are constantly monitored and equipped with 12 cameras and two-way audio communication systems. Any improper conduct will be detected immediately. If an incident does occur with a Starship robot, one of our robot rescuers can respond quickly,” robot builder Starship Technologies says regarding robot safety, adding that acts of vandalism or theft are reported to authorities.

    While that may be true in theory, instances of actual prosecution for theft from robots in cities where they operate have not been easy to discover. As with far more widespread instances of front porch package thieves or shoplifters, despite the volume of video evidence the robots can produce the police have to actually take some investigative steps to identify and locate the suspects

    I’m glad they’ve thought this through.

    • Skullgrid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      43·
      1 year ago

      the police have to actually take some investigative steps to identify and locate the suspects

      cops give zero fucks when crimes effect everyday citizens.

    • jscummy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      How dare they expect cops to “take some investigative steps?” We’ll arrest the criminals when you bring them in for us, along with evidence.

  • metallic_substance@lemmy.worldEnglish
    252·
    1 year ago

    For me, this falls neatly into the “who fucking cares?” category. These things are deployed in very few cities overall and if the technology is ready for wide-release, you better have a more effective defense against theft than you already do of they are already being stolen from

      • Meruten@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        5·
        1 year ago

        The article mentioned tear gas canisters be equipped instead. I can’t wait for a delivery robot to be near my property, someone tries to mess with it and gets gassed, then I get to enjoy tear gas as well from my front porch.

          • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
            01·
            1 year ago

            I’m assuming the canisters would only be released if the door is forced open. I highly doubt it’s going to activate a few slightly knock it I mean hell, those things drive into lamp posts on occasion.

            • nous@programming.devEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              With the care and attention tech companies give to the safety of their devices, I can definitely see it spraying someone unintended. Probably even the person it was delivering to. Any company sensible enough to properly implement this likely will finder better less potentially dangerous solutions to the problem. This idea stinks of someone who gave it 5 minutes of thought and wants it implemented as quickly as possible.

  • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
    3322·
    1 year ago

    I’m far from a Luddite and I think robots in general are cool. But I kind of don’t have an issue with people fucking up autonomous roaming robots. I haven’t rationalized that opinion just yet, I guess. Just feels right.

    Philly did nothing wrong

    • chaircat@lemdro.idEnglish
      246·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think waving away being a Luddite just by saying so makes it so.

      I can’t think of a single angle of principled moral theory that makes this okay. Vandalizing or stealing someone else’s property they paid for. Hurting both the restaurant and the customer by depriving them of their food. Holding back progress on an invention that can reduce the need for humans to engage in a type of work that is hard, dangerous at times, and low paid.

      From a purely rational on paper view, it doesn’t look terribly different than saying vandalizing or stealing from delivery vehicles driven by people isn’t wrong. What possible justification could there be for this view besides Ludditism fuck robots?

      • FredericChopin_@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I wonder if people had more prospects would crime go down?

        That’s a rhetorical question by the way. Petty crime is a failure of society.

      • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
        415·
        1 year ago

        groans

        I don’t think waving away being a Luddite just by saying so makes it so.

        Guess you know me better than I know myself.

        From a purely rational on paper view, it doesn’t look terribly different than saying vandalizing or stealing from delivery vehicles driven by people isn’t wrong. What possible justification could there be for this view besides Ludditism fuck robots?

        Imagine thinking humans are rational beings the debate ethics every time they have a feeling. Sometimes you just gotta fuck shit up.

    • cyd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      102·
      1 year ago

      You okay with people fucking up vending machines and ATMs too? Why or why not?

      • darth_helmet@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        42·
        1 year ago

        Not OP, but I would like to state that I am ok with that. You pulled a human out of the loop, and that comes with risks. Business decision.

        • chaircat@lemdro.idEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Wouldn’t this justify vandalizing any type of machine whatsoever? Get in an elevator and nobody is looking? Stab the control panel so they have to get a human in the future making the elevator. See a car and no one is looking? Set it on fire so they have to use a human pulled rickshaw instead.

      • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
        02·
        1 year ago

        You’re all making logical ethics arguments on a flippant emotional comment I made. You ever just have intrusive thoughts that make you just want to fuck some shit up? That’s what these robots make me feel.

    • simonced@lemmy.oneEnglish
      512·
      1 year ago

      The rational could be that those robots are taking the job of a human being and deserve to be robbed…

      • SimplePhysics@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        51·
        1 year ago

        Using cars to deliver food pays very little, is dangerous (old guy with shotgun shoots your brains if you go to the wrong house), and is extremely bad for the environment. Current delivery workers could switch to a safer job with better pay and not damage the environment as much. Or we can implement UBI. Just a thought.

        Edit: I would also like to point out a robot’s electric bill for a trip is much cheaper when compared to a gas or even an electric car. Ideally, the savings would be passed along to the customer.

        • coffeebiscuit@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          Well… an old man shooting your brains out for ringing the wrong doorbell is a complete different problem.

          We can also make robots to do that more efficiently.

        • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          31·
          1 year ago

          I hate this argument… Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a job that pays a livable wage?

          People aren’t dealing with the dangers of delivery because they are lazy or unmotivated, they are doing it because they need the work and it pays barely enough to meet their needs.

          • SimplePhysics@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            31·
            1 year ago

            Yes, thats why we need some fucking change in the world. My argument is just saying delivery robots are not bad.

            Where the hell did I say delivery workers were lazy?

  • cyd@lemmy.worldEnglish
    134·
    1 year ago

    Here’s an idea, don’t launch these services in low trust, high crime places. In California, people can walk into a fully staffed Walgreens and commit blatant theft with no repercussions; a poor robot out in the world stands no chance.

    • arthurpizza@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      1 year ago

      There’s a lot of parallels here. One I’m not on the side of Walgreens and I’m not on the side of the robot. If it comes down to petty crime but the only victim is an insured multi-billion dollar conglomerate I’m not going to shead a tear.

      • ArmokGoB@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        42·
        1 year ago

        I used to work in a Vons in Santa Monica in 2016. We had thefts every day. Some even got violent. Our manager got tired of it and threatened to break someone’s legs after they walked out of the store with something one morning. The theft problem in CA is real.

        • mosiacmango@lemm.eeEnglish
          83·
          1 year ago

          Yeah, it’s called shrinkage and it’s built into the profit model of all brick and mortar stores. Every store has some degree of theft, and while it increased for a short time during the middle of the pandemic, its since tapered off to normal levels.

          If you read the article I posted, its clear that the rate of theft is exaggerated overall in California, especially by the commentors chosen example, Walgreens.

          I’m sorry to hear about your personal experience with Vons, but it also sounds like your manager had anger issues and was part of the problem.

          • ArmokGoB@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            45·
            1 year ago

            When I’m working 12 hours a week and seeing 3-5 thefts, plus violence, every week, it’s more than just “shrinkage.” I can’t speak for all of CA, but that was my experience.

          • Efwis@lemmy.zipEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            Actually it can have repercussions on them… A lot of companies give bonuses to store managers for reducing their shrinkage, even by .5%. The inherent problem with that strategy 90% of the time it’s the lowly employee who actually does the work. Therefore the manager get more money for the employee doing the job they should do themselves for the bonus. Now mom and pop shops it makes sense, but these big corpo’s only care about increasing payments to their shareholders and board of directors.

            Now when the manager is asked for a raise, they will act like it’s coming out of their own pocket. In all seriousness, being employed is nothing more than indentured servitude. This is why people in general cannot make any headway in business unless they put themselves in debt for 30 years to be educated to do a job. Mind you better than 60% of college graduates don’t even get a job in the field they went to college for.

            And don’t even get me started on the predatory practices of colleges.

  • astropenguin5@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    These things have been around for a few years on the college campus in my hometown, it’s not that new and they do work fairly well. Might be that it was a testing ground though

    • The_v@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      My niece has them on her college campus.

      College kids + alcohol + robots… It’s about what you would expect.

      They rarely make it to their destinations on time.