New York City lawmakers are trying to get ahead of the robots.
On Thursday, April 30, 2026, City Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez introduced legislation that would bar the New York Police Department from attempting to arm robots or using them in ways likely to cause physical injury. Backers say the bill would lock into city law what is currently only an internal NYPD policy, and it would explicitly exclude drones from the ban. The measure lands as the NYPD steadily expands its robotic toolbox, from small reconnaissance “throwbots” to the four-legged Digidog, in emergencies and investigations.
As reported by CBS News, Gutiérrez called the bill “a proactive approach” and said she planned to formally introduce it Thursday. According to the outlet, the proposal would bar the NYPD “from attempting or threatening to use a robot armed with any weapons” and would also prohibit using robots “in any manner that can likely cause physical injury.” An NYPD spokesperson told CBS that the department’s robots are unarmed and that it “deploys robotics during the course of critical incidents for the purpose of preserving human life.”
Supporters want to lock the policy in place
Privacy and civil-liberties advocates are treating the bill as a chance to turn a discretionary NYPD rule into a hard line in local law. “NYPD policy currently bans police from arming robots, but this would make it permanent,” research director Eleni Manis said, as reported by CBS News. Manis warned that officers making life-or-death decisions at a distance “may get it wrong.”…