What are robot dogs?Robot dogs manufactured by Ghost Robotics are unmanned vehicles that can carry up to 22 pounds of material and withstand all terrain and weather conditions. Like walking drones, robot dogs both carry weaponry and act as tools of surveillance through built-in cameras and microphones. Armed with a submachine gun, Ghost Robotics’ robot dogs are able to shoot up to a range of 1,200 meters.
How do they work?Ghost Robotics’ dogs are AI-enabled and can also be controlled by remote operator. “Vision 60,” the name for the robot dog model currently deployed in Gaza, is virtually indestructible. In Ghost Robotics’ own words, “Even if the environment is completely unknown, vision sensors degrade or fail, you can be assured that when our legged robot does fail, slip or fall, it will get right back up and continue moving.”
Where are robot dogs being deployed?Vision 60 robot dogs are currently on the ground in Gaza, having been purchased by Israel’s defense establishment for around $150,000 per unit. Ghost Robotics is also under contract with the US Department of Homeland Security, which is testing the robot dogs for use along the US-Mexico border.
Is this legal?Per UN General Assembly Resolution 78/241, “lethal autonomous weapons systems” are illegal in the military domain. When asked about arming their robot dogs, former Ghost Robotics CEO Jiren Parikh responded that he has no problem attaching weapons to the robots and there "is a critical place for these robots in the military."
What does this have to do with me?Ghost Robotics is headquartered in Philadelphia; the University of Pennsylvania (which itself does not pay property taxes) is its landlord, and the company is given a significant tax cut by the city. This means the horrors of AI-assisted genocide are enabled in part by our tax dollars. As Philadelphians, we refuse to take part in the funding of death machines; we will not participate in the extermination of Palestinians.
How can I learn more? What can I do?

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We hosted a series of teach ins to help people learn more about Ghost Robotics, connect the dots between our interconnected struggles, and connect with their neighbors.

Ghost Robotics is responsible for violence in Gaza, on the US-Mexico border, and here at home in Philadelphia. Participants had the opportunity to learn more, connect with others who share a desire to act, and get plugged into future actions.

    Past teach-ins:

    • Ghost Robotics and Border Violence: From Palestine to Mexico, All the Walls Have Got to Go
      • In this participatory teach in we provided some background info on Ghost Robotics, with a zoom in on their role in violence on the US-Mexico border. This teach in was offered virtually on Wednesday July 10 2024.
    • Ghost Robotics and The Deadly Exchange: PPD, KKK, IOF They're All the Same
        • In this participatory teach in we provided some background info on Ghost Robotics, with a zoom in on The Deadly Exchange, which is the name given to the collaborative relationship between US Police Forces, US Border Agents and The Israeli Occupation Forces. This teach in was held Monday June 10 2024 at First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.
      • Ghost Robotics and Penntrification: From Gaza to Grays Ferry, Rise up to Stop Displacement
        • In this participatory teach in we provided some background info on Ghost Robotics, with a zoom in on their role in driving displacement and gentrification in Grays Ferry and Southwest Philadelphia. This teach in was held Thursday May 16 2024 at Smith Playground Community Center.
      What is our vision?Ghost Robotics was founded in 2015, less than 10 years ago. Its existence is not inevitable, and neither is the occupation of Palestine. We aim to stop operations at Ghost Robotics as part of a broader strategy to end the manufacture of weapons of genocide, shut down surveillance and tech apparatuses, and free Palestine in our lifetime.
      Who are we?

      We're your neighbors who believe that from Philadelphia to Palestine, all our liberatory struggles are intertwined.

      We're organizers who work in harm reduction, mutual aid, abolition, and environmental justice spaces who are united by a commitment to do all we can to stop the genocide in Palestine, which is being carried out by the apartheid state of Israel with the full support of the US political machine, US-made bombs and weapons from companies like Ghost Robotics, and US tax dollar funding, including more than $23 million in 2023 tax dollars from Philadelphia alone.

      We hope to meet you at a teach in soon.