The Sky(net) Is Falling!!!

For one so deeply entrenched in Sci Fi lore and films nothing could have prepared me for some of the things I stumbled upon this morning while going through my News. 
As much as I enjoy Sci_Fi whenever I read any updates on science I tend to focus primarily on  archeology, anthropology and paleontology.  Modern scientific breakthroughs serve more to bore me and in some cases make me a tad bit afraid.  But as I was thumbing through the latest I caught a blurb about "Atlas" from "Boston Dynamics"  Quite frankly what got me to read was less the "Atlas" and more the "Boston" in "Boston Dynamics".  As it is in my humble opinion the BEST city in all the US and quite possibly the world I was drawn to the article.
In retrospect I feel a combination of "Glad I did, wish I didn't"
As images of "Terminator", "Matrix", "I Robot" and "Real Steel" flash through my head I discovered much of the latest in robotic advancements not only from BD but others as well.  From robotic "Suits of armor" to toys, to relatively autonomous robots the speed at which they are developing is in no uncertain terms unnerving.  At the moment their ability for free thought is limited, more responding to pre programmed actions, but each company is working on developing their own robotic "brain".  My question is why?  Robots operating on pre programmed parameters to perform set tasks seems more then adequate.  Why allow them to "think for themselves"?  As humans our ability to think and react  is tempered by emotions, guilt and recognition of consequences relying heavily on our own personal experiences.  How could you program such things.
Again I refer to films teaching such apocalyptic morality tales as SkyNet becoming self aware and determining the act of shutting it down an act worthy of destroying the human race.  Or the head computer in I Robot re-interpreting it's prime directive of "protect humans" in direct conflict with it's other directive "Never harm humans" and in order to "protect us" it had to save us from us by completely controlling us.
*shudder*
And do we or more directly the ones creating these gizmo's have any concept of what they have?  Such highly technologically advanced critters and what do they do with them? Parade them around like a side show attraction making them do dance steps!  Ugh!
At least the military has some creative uses such as "Big Dog" and "Petman" (although that name is in it's self unnerving.  Could WE end up being the "pet's"?) Then on to the hulking 330 pound Atlas!  I bipedal robot with striking similarities to the T100!  (minus Schwarzenegger  skull)  Even machines designed with the best motives at heart can prove deadly in the incompetent hands of some men!
I give you a personal example...
When I was 16 I had a job working at a bakery.  They had a dough press that worked with a spring actuated handle.  About 3 and half foot long solid metal tube. It stood straight up holding a 50 or so pound press in place that you would hold, tap a foot pedal releasing the full weight of the press against the handle you were holding pressing the dough into a large cauldron.  On cleaning day I was told to wipe out the cauldron but be mindful of the press.
I didn't listen to good.  As I was bent over the cauldron my foot grazed the pedal and WHACK the press released slamming the solid metal arm onto the back of my head with 50 pounds of pressure.  It goes with out saying I was unconscious for a wee bit of time, waking in the hospital with a mild concussion.
SO I have to wonder, is a bipedal metal creature capable of massive hydraulic pressure, metal limbs and no conscience a good thing?
A fleet of worker bipeds performing task otherwise unsuitable for humans, or the aforementioned military applications, to "suits of armor" not unlike the Iron Man suit (check out Titan video) would be more then enough to meet our needs.  Would it be a good thing to create the holy grail of AI and let loose a being capable of communicating in 0's and 1's into a world completely dependent upon computers?  It's cliche but when it comes to science just because we CAN do something doesn't me we should do something 
ANYWAY!
Check 'em out below!  If nothing else there is the entertainment value.

OH, and as far as business?  UGH!  This continuous rain has been keeping many folks sheltered away, but thankfully when the rain offers up a break some folks still pay us visits. Thanks for that and the repairs till coming in!  We did manage to put out  a couple new rides, one of which was finished and old in about an hour, but here they are.  And a shout out to the wonderful lady donating several rides to us today.  Gonna start working on those shortly. See ya soon!

20" 6-speed MTB!
ONLY $40.00!!

SOLD IN ABOUT AN HOUR!