Company: Our new robot absolutely does NOT feed on human flesh.

[TheWraith]

File this under "suspiciously specific denials." Awhile back there were news stories about a joint project involving two companies and DARPA, to develop a robot capable of extended military recon missions without conventional fuel, by scavenging biomass to burn for energy. After some news stories came up with the obvious question involving what sort of "biomass" you would be likely to find lying around in a combat zone, the companies came out with a rather firm statement: our robot is NOT intended to eat human corpses. Just wood chips and things. Honest. The other thing would be illegal.

The money quote from the CEO is the best, though.

“We completely understand the public’s concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,” stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/07/company-denies-its-robots-feed-on-the-dead/

[Renew Deal]

1. That sounds like a non-denial denial.

:tinfoilhat:

[leveymg]

2. CEO of Cyclone? The genesis of the Cyclons has been identified.

Beware of man-eating robots with identity issues, slinky wardrobes, and nuclear weapons.

[TheWraith]

8. Now that's a robot revolution I can get behind. :) nt

[jtuck004]

3. A whole new outlook on "Mission Creep". /nt

[MilesColtrane]

4. May not be your mission, but...

if they get hungry enough...?

Asimov didn't foresee a law necessary for this one.

[TheWraith]

7. It would have been hard for him to pick a LESS reassuring phrase, really.

The only one I can think of is if he had said "we're not planning on it."

[ThoughtCriminal]

11. Battlefield Darwinism

Our bio-waste powered killbots vs. their bio-waste powered battle-bots. Evolution may not favor the squeamish-bot.

[saras]

5. He does NOT say they won't do it. He says it's not their PURPOSE. That's all.

[hifiguy]

6. That's like a real-estate agent saying

"Nope, no flesh-eating ogres in this neighborhood. Nothing to worry about."

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. Suspiciously specific denials

Adding quotation marks are a fun way to do this.

All "Beef".

"Natural" ingredients.

Our robots will not "Feed" on human "Flesh".

[rug]

10. Tell it to his widow.