In case you were wondering what was going on with these things.
Robotics companies promise that video-camera-toting security robots can deter and detect crime. But many companies are rethinking the approach after a trail of canceled contracts and questions about whether the artificial intelligence-powered bots are meeting the needs of businesses and local governments.
Proof News found evidence of at least 21 security robot deployments since 2015. We contacted contract holders and combed news articles and determined that at least 13 of those programs have ended. Silicon Valley-based Knightscope secured the most security robot contracts, according to Proof’s analysis, and also suffered the bulk of cancellations.
For example, New York City’s then-Mayor Eric Adams installed a Knightscope robot on the overnight shift at the Times Square subway station, but the program was scrapped when the pilot expired in 2024. City leaders did not respond to Proof News’ questions about why the robot wasn’t renewed. By the end of its assignment, it was reportedly gathering dust in an empty storefront.
Outside Columbus, Ohio, the city of Dublin pulled the plug on a Knightscope robot in May, ending its two-year pilot program after less than 10 months. The city enlisted the robot, dubbed DubBot, to patrol a downtown park, but city spokeswoman Robyn Gray said it “did not fully meet our operational needs,” and failed to identify any criminal incidents or lead to any tickets or arrests.
Sheila Sparks isn’t surprised. Her family has operated Sparks Protection Services near Columbus for more than a decade and said a human touch is essential to de-escalating sticky situations.
“A robot can’t do that,” Sparks said.
Seeking a new path forward in the security industry, Knightscope CEO William Santana Li said the company is forging a new model, combining its robots and AI-powered software with another key ingredient: human security guards. Knightscope announced it purchased Event Risk LLC, a national security guard firm, earlier this year.
Knightscope has incurred net losses since inception in 2013, according to its most recent quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and is $273 million in debt. Knightscope hopes its pivot to incorporate people will give it a greater share of the physical security market — which the company believes is worth an estimated $230 billion annually.
Li declined to answer questions about the disbanded programs, but said in an email, “Technology cannot do everything — and neither can people — but the combination can be very powerful.”
So why am I blogging about this and not just adding this to the Sunday linkdump? Because Metro did a test of these Knightscope robots back in 2021. They turned up around town in some other places as well around that time – Houston Methodist Hospital, the Allen Center courtyards downtown, IAH’s parking garage, and some unnamed mid-scale, limited-service hotels. I can’t say I’ve seen any of these things in any of these places lately – or anywhere else – though as recently as two years ago they were still being employed by Houston Methodist. Maybe they’re still there now, providing at least one bright spot on Knightscope’s balance sheet.
Anyway. I saw this story on 404 Media, remembered the robots we had, verified they were made by the same company, did a little searching around, and voila, this blog post. Most sites make you become a premium member before they give you this kind of behind-the-scenes look, but you get it for free. You’re welcome.