Starship robot 'attacks' Milton Keynes resident
A resident reported being "attacked" by a Starship delivery robot in Milton Keynes, UK, pro mpting concerns about the safety of the service. The robot collided with resident Brian Dawson's dog Pippa, prompting him to lash out at the robot in response. The robot later hit him in his left leg when he was trying to file a complaint. The confrontation led to the robot being described as having "attacked" the resident, highlighting concerns about the safety and behaviour of autonomous delivery machines. Starship Technologies, the company behind the robot, has faced scrutiny regarding operational safety and liability. The robots, which are designed to navigate sidewalks and deliver groceries, have been involved in several incidents, including previous reports of collisions with pedestrians and pets. The Co-op told Dawson t hat the incident was not their responsibility. Starship stated that they take safety seriously and that additional training is provided to operators to prevent such occurrences. Overall, while residents appreciate the convenience of the Starship robots, incidents like this raise questions about their reliability and the potential risks they pose in urban environments. System 🤖 Starship Operator: Co-op Developer: Starship Technologies Country: UK Sector: Transport/logistics Purpose: Deliver groceries Technology: Robotics; Machine learning; Neural network Issue: Ethics/values; Liability; Safety
- Date it happened
- 2023-06-01
- Organisation involved
- Co-op
- Product, system or model
- Starship robot
This incident was imported from AIAAIC and is used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Our additions to it — the structured fields, the translation, the checks against other reports — are published under the same licence.
This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.