Is this scary or just a little hyperbole to keep funding intact? What does it mean that in almost half of the cases robot roaches followed the real roaches? If freed from human control, are there now robot roaches out there randomly trying to reproduce? Can they reproduce? Programmed with swarm intelligence, I suppose anything is possible.
From William Saletan's Salon column:
"Engineers are integrating robots into animal societies. Latest example: Four robotic roaches persuaded 12 real roaches to congregate in an unnaturally dangerous place. Key trick: coating the robots with roach sex hormones. Objectives: 1) Study how animal groups make decisions. 2) See whether robots can fit in well enough to participate in those decisions. 3) Make robots better at learning and adapting. Other examples: robotic spiders, snakes, dogs, and monkeys.
"Scientists' official reassurance: "We are not interested in people." Fine print: "The scientists plan to extend their research to higher animals," starting with a robotic chicken designed to commandeer chicks. Warning: The roach robots were freed from ongoing human control, and in 4 out of 10 cases, they followed the decisions of the real roaches, instead of the other way around."
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