Robotic law enforcement may have once seemed like the stuff of sci-fi novels or futuristic movies, such as RoboCop. But rapid advances in technology mean that robots are increasingly being put to work on patrol duties, to perform crowd control, guard prisoners, or, in extreme cases, even combat with dangerous suspects.

Just this week, Dubai Police welcomed the newest member of the force: a 1.70-metre tall, 100-kg robot policeman who can recognise emotions, gestures and hand signals from as far as a metre and a half away.

The robot - which is designed to interact with people in malls and city streets - can transmit and communicate in six languages, respond to questions from residents, take payments, broadcast live video feeds, help police identify wanted offenders, and even offer a military salute to members of the public.

"With an aim to assist and help people in the malls or on the streets, the Robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime, keep the city safe, and improve happiness levels," Brigadier General Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, Director-General of Dubai Police Smart Services, said at the recent Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC) in Dubai.

Dubai Police have even used a robot - named Saeed Al Farhan - to interview job-seekers at the recent 'Careers UAE' event at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Although Dubai Police are well ahead of the curve when it comes to police robots, they aren't the only ones using them.

In South Korea, for example, correctional officers have experimented with a five-foot tall robot designed to keep watch over inmates, and in nearby China, officials last year unveiled a taser-equipped robot that can autonomously patrol areas and even help subdue suspects if necessary.

In addition to relatively mundane patrol duties, some police forces have even used robots to kill suspects.

In July 2016, American police ended a deadly shooting incident in Dallas with an explosive-laden robot that killed the shooter, who was holed up in a parking garage. And Israel last year unveiled the Dogo - an 11-inch tall robot designed with help from the country's counter-terrorist unit - that comes equipped with a handgun to engage targets without putting police operatives at risk of return fire.

But with Artificial Intelligence technology rapidly advancing and more police robots on duty, some experts have warned that they need to be implemented carefully.

"It is very difficult to imagine a machine substituting human judgment where there is an immediate and direct risk that a person is about to kill another person, and then using appropriate force to the minimum extent," Human Rights Watch's Rasha Abdul Rahim wrote in November 2015. "Such a judgment is critically important."

Rahim added that she believed robot police officers could potentially be used as tools of repression by unaccountable governments.

"Human emotions can sometimes act as an important check on killing or injuring civilians, and robots could easily be programmed to carry out indiscriminate or arbitrary attacks on humans," she said. "(Robots) would be incapable of refusing orders, which at times can save lives."

"For example, during mass protests in Egypt in January 2011, the army refused to fire on protesters, an action that required innate human compassion and respect for the rule of law," she added.

UAE residents weigh in

Most UAE residents, however, see robots as a tool to assist human police officers in certain tasks, rather than as replacements.

"With the current technological trend, I believe robots will be used to do some work currently being done by policemen, for controlling traffic in some areas, etc," Emirati housewife Mona Abdullah said. "But what I am very sure of is that robots cannot be compared to policemen in doing their jobs."

"The work done by a human being will always be super and better," she added. Wajahat A Syed, the Sales and Marketing Executive of Young Scientists - which recently held a robotics competition in Abu Dhabi - noted that while robots can be used to help with certain law enforcement tasks, they can never be fully relied upon.

"A robot is just a machine, and cannot do a perfect job like a real policeman," he said. "Anything can happen to it at any time. For instance, its battery can die off and this means faults in the work."

Some, however, are much more sceptical. "I don't think robots can be used as policemen at any time," said Emirati government employee Khalid Mohammed. "It's impossible. Robots can do other jobs, but not that of a policeman."

"A policeman is a human being and uses judgment while performing his duties. While at work, a police officer can always communicate to people, depending on the situation at hand," he added. "A robot is just a machine that is programmed to do particular jobs."

Source: Khaleej Times