A "dog" that needs to follow ESG

Introduction: The case of the "Gun Gear Dog" shows that robotic companies may be "forced" to become "suppliers" for robot weapons.

What is the use of four -foot machine dogs?

Today, smart bionic machine dogs are no longer fresh and fresh, and you can buy it from e -commerce. It can accompany you to run, dance, or help you express delivery.

In the eyes of most people, machine dogs are just expensive playicles, and lack of "killer" applications.

Unexpectedly, someone thought about it: What about making machine dogs a "killer"?

Recently, the video of this gun machine dog has been circulating on the Internet. In the video, a modified civilian machine dog carried a submachine gun on his back to perform tasks such as shooting and patrol.

It is difficult to confirm the specific information of the shooting site. However, according to the research of netizens, the video was first passed on to YouTube by a person named Alexander Atamanov. Atamanov himself is a technical entrepreneur and has the history of living in Russia and the United States.

The armored vehicle in the video background is the former Soviet Union BRDM-2A or BDRM-2M armored vehicle. The model of the gun is Russian PP-19-01 "Warriors" submachine gun.

The model of the machine dog is very much like the GO1 machine dog of Yushu Technology. The machine dog is priced at 16,000 yuan in China and sold to foreign countries through multiple channels.

Picture: Yuhu Technology Go1 Machine Dog

Source: Yushu Science and Technology Official Website

Figure: ATAMANOV's back -gun machine dog photo posted on social networks

If netizens analyze the truth, Yuhu Technology is forced to make a "military product".

This is definitely not a good thing, it is an ESG risk that is urgent to be vigilant.

01 ESG Investment Ran Area

Once an enterprise really becomes a military supplier, it is likely to cause investment institutions with ESG strategies to withdraw money. This is because the military industry is regarded as an "controversial industry" by ESG.

According to the recommendations of the United Nations Liability Investment Principles (UNPRI, one of the main initiatives of ESG), ESG investors should stay away from industries with negative moral colors, such as military, tobacco, gaming, alcohol, adult entertainment, fossil energy.

The characteristics of these industries are mainly that they generate negative value of society/ecology, or rely on human weaknesses and addiction to make profits.

This is not to say that these industries are completely "sin" industries, but they must be controversial industries. Controversy means unpredictable non -financial risks.

In operation, ESG rating agencies and ESG funds usually do not simply deny the military industry, alcohol, fossil energy and other industries, but define their ethical demands more clearly in policies.

For example, ESG Investment Institutions will distinguish between defense industry and arms business in the military industry, and believe that the latter is a "negative industry" in the true sense; while the company's cooperation with the military and the military is a normal business behavior.

The S & P ESG Index is out of the index to remove the American civilian gun producer from the index.

For another example, the reason why wine is listed as the controversial industry is because some religious beliefs are prohibited from drinking or drunk, so investors holding corresponding beliefs are unwilling to invest in the wine industry. In the field of ESG investment in China, the wine industry is not controversial.

In short, the ESG's "dispute industry" is more entangled in and wrong. If there is no strategic need for enterprises, it should avoid involving it.

02 Manufacturing "Responsible Robot"

What is the attitude of ESG?

"Military Robotics" is called "lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS" in military and international law.

In 2017, Elon Musk and Silicon Valley AI scientist Mustafa Suleyman led 116 scientists to call on the United Nations to ban countries from developing "killing robots". Stephen Hawking, who was still alive, also participated in related publicity activities.

Subsequently, there were also countries (such as Belgium) began to prohibit the research and development of "killing robots".

The hope of the final resolution at the Five -year -old ONEAN Geneva Convention (CCW) meeting. Historically, the CCW conference banned many inhuman weapons, including gasoline bombs and bundle bombs.

The meeting was held in December 2021. At the meeting, the representatives also discussed the Libya civil war. For the first time in the war, the deceased who died in robotics and weapons.

It is regrettable that the meeting did not reach an agreement. Countries have invested a lot of funds on robotics and weapons research and development, and have not negotiated a unified international control measure.

But the international community's struggle against "killing robots" continues.

ESG is an important way of fighting. For example, Sustainalytics, an ESG rating agency of Chenxing, said that it accepts reports on the business of "killing robots" and will expose and inquire about related businesses in the global capital market.

Just as the "Gun Machine Dog" case at the beginning of the article, robotic enterprises may "be forced" to be a "supplier" for robot weapons.

They are indeed worthy of sympathy and understanding, but on the other hand, practitioners can also refer to the current principles of "responsible AI" and "responsible robots" to actively deal with the control of smart products. In June 2019, the National New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional Committee released the "New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Governance Principles -Artificial Intelligence to Develop responsible". The document proposes the eight principles of "responsible AI", which is worthy of the reference of related practitioners.

For example, the document proposes the principle of "shared responsibility", which requires AI to develop developers, users, and other related parties. It should have a high sense of social responsibility and jointly prevent criminals using AI for criminal activities.

This principle can be applied to the case of "Gun -Holding Robot Dog".

03 How to deal with "military industry"

The example of Yushu Technology is the leading startup company in domestic bionic robots. Yushu Technology is also one of the few companies in the world that realizes the commercialization of machine dogs.

Famous companies such as Boston Power, their main products are SPOT machine dogs, priced at $ 74,000. This price may constitute a true barrier to prevent the product from being illegally used.

The domestic Yushu Technology and Xiaomi (HK: 01810) pressed the price of bionic machine dog products to the level of 10,000 yuan. Its relatively low prices have attracted attention from the international market.

Picture: The machine dog "iron egg" produced by Xiaomi

Civil machine dogs are new products in the intelligent era. While commercial exploration, it also needs to explore new ways to fulfill social responsibility and control the risks of products.

Although the manufacturer hopes that science and technology will do good, it is inevitable to take some preventive measures for products.

These measures contain multiple levels from passive to active.

First of all, the attitude of the enterprise must be clear.

For example, in the instructions for the use of the Spot machine dog products, Boston Power specifies five types of prohibited uses, including "prohibiting the intention to use this product to damage and intimidate anyone or animals; it is forbidden to use this product as a weapon, or to control weapons" Essence

While showing the "prohibition" attitude, companies cannot forget the attitude of "responsibility".

In this regard, Yuhu Technology's approach is questionable. The company's "Disclaimer" of the company's machine dog products stated: "The user promises to use this product for legitimate purposes ... Yushu Technology does not bear all the losses and losses caused by the product in accordance with this guideline and the" User Operation Manual ". as a result of."

Obviously, the position of "the company's irresponsibility" is obviously not considered that the product is used for illegal purposes, and it also violates the principle of "shared responsibility".

Enterprises can adopt a more positive responsibility position, declare the illegal use of the product, the opposition of unofficial military use, and take measures to prevent related use. For example, enterprises can improve product design and make it difficult to be modified.

After clarifying its stance, enterprises can further take active product governance measures.

04 Practical experience of Toyota and Boston Dynamics

In this regard, Toyota (NYSE: TM) has some practical experience.

Toyota is the world's largest automobile manufacturer. Toyota pickups are suitable for rugged terrain due to their performance and reliable performance, especially favored by the army, international organizations, and peacekeeping forces.

But on the other hand, Toyota can't stop various illegal military organizations who also love Toyota pickups. In addition, Toyota pickups are easy to modify militaryization, and frequently expose their faces in military conflicts across the East.

Picture: Toyota pickup in Chaded-Libya conflict (also known as "Toyota War")

The biggest blow to Toyota's social image is that its pickups often appear in the image of terrorist organizations.

The company first takes measures from the sales link to weaken this negative image.

Toyota strictly controls the sales of automobile products in the Middle East and refuses to sell cars to customers who may use it for military purposes or military modifications for them.

In 2022, after Toyota's new LAND ROVER was released in Japan, the contract received by the car buyer also included such an attachment of a commitment.

The promise letter was open and enlightened, asking for "the customer agreed that the transaction was not a purchase of" exports 'and "resale'"; at the same time, explained that exports and transmission "major risks that may cause global security."

This is essentially to prevent cars from falling into the hands of illegal military organizations through illegal military organizations. At the same time, Toyota also asked dealers to sell company products within a strict scope of compliance.

In addition, Toyota also cooperated with governments to track the global flow of vehicles and crack down on the smuggling channels of vehicles.

Boston Dynamics, as an important robot developer, is also seeking countermeasures for the product's ESG risk.

Shortly after the machine dog Spot was launched, the Massachusetts Police Station introduced a Spot, equipped with explosion -proof teams, and began to cooperate with the police to perform bomb demolition drills.

Picture: Massachusetts Police Training SPOT open the door

This still triggers residents' opposition. Some civil organizations point out that police should announce the principles of Spot law enforcement to ensure that Spot protects citizens' legal rights and interests in law enforcement.

Of course, this requirement is not what the Massachusetts Police Station can do, or even Boston's motivation. It requires systematically to reform the human political system to ensure that robots act according to human morality.

Boston's power can only be improved within the scope of power.

Michael Perry, Vice President of Business Development, pointed out that the company is considering leased to realize the commercial landing of machine dogs. In this way, the company can hold the ownership of the machine dog in its own hands and maintain stricter control of the product. Once you find misuse, take it immediately.

05 Summary and Revelation

To sum up, the case of "Gun Machine Dog" brings us to the ESG "dispute industry":

If the enterprise does not strategically enter the so -called "controversial industry", then pay more attention to product governance and public relations management, maintaining a distance from these industries to prevent corresponding risks.

This requires enterprises to constantly update their understanding of their own product responsibility and formulate strategies to keep pace with the times.

Specifically, when the Robotic research and development, it may be difficult for enterprises to predict how the product will be accepted by the society and whether it will be used in a legal way. After all, the responsibility governance of new technology products is beyond the scope of the enterprise.

The ESG governance of the new technology requires enterprises to play the creativity of social responsibility, and seek cooperation from the relevant parties of various interests. These stakeholders include government and social institutions, as well as asset management institutions holding ESG concepts.

It is also true that acting as a leader in the exploration of intelligent product governance will also become an advantage of an enterprise.

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