by Cal Meier, Wednesday, October 18, 2023
On September 22, 2023, New York City mayor Eric Adams introduced several of a new age of policing-AI driven security robots. Some resemble and mimic dogs, scouting the streets of the city. Others work between 12-6 AM, in the Times Square subway station. These are noted to resemble R2-D2, but unbeknownst to most, they also resemble another sci-fi creature used as a security robot. The most ruthless killers in all of time and space. Yes, Doctor Who fans, I am referring to the Daleks.
Okay, you’re probably wondering, What is Doctor Who and What are Daleks? So, for those who don’t know, Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show about an alien adventurer from the planet Gallifrey, who travels through time and space in a time machine disguised as a police telephone box called the TARDIS. They fight all sorts of aliens and villains, including the Daleks. The Daleks are a mutant remnant of a warrior race called Kaleds from the planet Skaro, squid-like mutant creatures that live inside large weaponized shells, who scream “Exterminate!” and kill people with their various weapons, mostly laser guns.
On January 1, 2021, the Doctor Who series 12 special Revolution of the Daleks was released. In it, some government officials found a burnt-out Dalek shell, and converted it into a security robot, made more of it and rolled them out nationwide. However, the Dalek creature from the shell cloned itself, and the clone Daleks hijacked the robot shells and, well, you can guess what happened.. Thankfully, the Doctor and friends saved the day as usual. A similar thing is happening right now. Here, the government is rolling out security robots of a similar appearance. But the question is, how are New Yorkers reacting?
“I think it makes me feel safe and not really safe because they have cameras, so I’m being watched, which is uncomfortable.” said 7th Grader Charlotte Sauvage, to which I responded, “But you and everyone else on this planet is being watched constantly, every day. So what would you say is the difference?” She responded, “It’s kind of scary, because the robots are constantly watching me, but other people aren’t. But the difference is that now I’ll be safe.”
No, you won’t! Even with these robots, thousands worldwide are dying every day, especially in NYC! It’s already one of the most deadly places, even without Daleks. Also, the reason these robots exist is probably because we protested against fossil fuels. My mom told me, “Adams’ solution to every problem is throwing cops at it.” I have to agree. What he considers a problem and what the public considers a problem is quite different. He’s more worried about people defending their rights than actual issues. Sadly, that’s what most politicians are like. So, what do you think? Could this be the next Dalek apocalypse or simply Adams being Adams?