Should there be a ban on the export of robotics technology to some countries?

[Boojatta]

Perhaps this will sound like science fiction, but it occurs to me that technology that is currently being developed and that has not yet been exported could eventually contribute to the creation of robotic devices that resemble human beings (in action and behavior) well enough to get into a crowded public place in the USA. If some of those devices contain concealed explosives, then they could be security hazards.

Are airline passengers required to pass any test to determine whether or not they think like human beings?

[havocmom]

1. With multi-national corporations running things, hard to put genis back into bottles

It is sad, but any national laws which might interfere with international commerce seem to be a thing of the past.

I would worry less about exploding cyborgs and more about the shrinking job market as robotics take on more and more tasks formerly done by people.

[Boojatta]

2. There used to be rather strong controls on the export of

encryption technology.

Edited to add:

Phil Zimmerman’s motive for creating the program was political and not for profit.(15) Zimmerman believes that the intrinsic susceptibility of digital communications to automated mass-surveillance is an unprecedented threat to civil liberties(16) and wishes to provide the public with a secure means of communication. The program has been used by human rights monitors inside countries with repressive political regimes, but also by criminals to conceal evidence.(17)

The disclosure or transfer of cryptographic software to a foreigner is illegal under the US ITAR (18) export regulations. Zimmerman never personally exported PGP, he created it, encouraged its use and distributed it to friends and colleagues, one of whom posted it to an Internet Usenet discussion group.(19) Later, improved and extended versions were collaboratively produced by other programmers around the world.(20) Zimmerman was put under investigation, with a grand jury hearing evidence for about 28 months. A campaign was established for his defence, and the civil liberties issues achieved wide publicity on the Internet. After acquiring folk-hero status, the prosecution was finally dropped<21> by the Federal Government in January 1996 without explanation. These disputes are now moot, and PGP has become an international de facto standard for Internet public key cryptography. In 1997, the source program of the latest version was published in the form of a book, constitutionally protected under the First Amendment. The book was then scanned outside the US, and the program re-compiled, which allowed distribution of a free version on the Internet, and a “shrink-wrap” version for commercial use.

Source:
Cryptography and Democracy : Dilemmas of Freedom
http://www.fipr.org/rip/Cryptfree.htm

(It's a long webpage. Search for the word "motive" to find the above excerpt and the surrounding text/context.)

[Double T]

3. No. It is the responsibility of the US government and corporations..........

to make communist countries and dictatorships, that ignore human rights, as powerful or powerful than 'WE' are by handing over our intellectual property so that they can build thriving economies and a strong military at the expense of the USA. Bionic terrorists are assuredly in the works.

[Boojatta]

4. Bionic? Would a robotic device need to contain living tissue to appear

upon casual inspection to be human?

[Double T]

7. Nothing works better than the real thing.

[Deja Q]

6. While they whine intellectual property is being pirated too.

Often by the same countries we help.

The world clearly owes the US a lot.

[DBoon]

5. Because only Americans are smart enough to build this stuff?

export bans only shoot ourselves in the foot.

[izquierdista]

8. While you are at it

How about a ban on exporting of American made clothing to China?
How about a ban on exporting of American produced oil to India?
Don't look back over your shoulder to see how far the world is behind; look in front and see how much distance is opening up.

[Boojatta]

9. Do you think that the USA could be exporting clothing to China

and oil to India if only the USA were more technologically advanced?