02:01 23-05-2026

Boston Dynamics Cancels Robot Dog Sale After Staff Protest

© A. Krivonosov

Boston Dynamics canceled a robot dog sale after staff raised concerns the machines could be used by police suppliers in protest-control scenarios.

American robotics company Boston Dynamics has pulled out of a deal to sell its robot dogs to a supplier of police equipment after employees protested the sale, Semafor reported, citing a company representative and former staff members.

According to the outlet, employees were worried the robots could be used to control potential protests — for example, by carrying flashbang grenades. The deal had initially been cleared by an internal ethics committee, but later sparked backlash inside the company.

Boston Dynamics confirmed that the sale had been canceled. A company representative said the agreement may have conflicted with its rule that robots must not be used as weapons. The company says it strictly follows that principle.

A source told Semafor, however, that the terms of the deal explicitly barred the use of the robot dogs to suppress protests. The machines were supposed to be deployed only in situations involving armed criminals, barricaded suspects or hostage-taking.

The use of robots by security forces and in warfare has been raised before. Alexei Okunev, director of the Institute of Intelligent Robotics at Novosibirsk State University, earlier told TASS that the mass deployment of such machines on the battlefield could begin with robot dogs. He said Boston Dynamics had already shown models capable of moving across terrain and carrying military cargo.

Boston Dynamics dates back to 1992, when it was founded by engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company later became widely known for its four-legged dog-like robot, a machine that can trot, climb stairs and open doors.