Is it okay to kick a robot?

UPDATE: One of their robots can now dance, which is the way forward, please don’t weaponise them, just let them twerk and moonwalk

These robots can now open doors for each other and let themselves out…just sayin’

By now, you’ve probably seen the astounding quadruped robots that have been built and demonstrated by Boston Dynamics. These machines run like four-legged animals and don’t seem to mind when their human companions give them a kick…hold on…give them a kick? Is that really the best example to set impressionable people watching the videos?

One could argue that it’s a machine, it doesn’t “mind” being kicked, if that demonstrates just how robust the software and servos are to disturbances in the forces around them. But, it is still quite a disconcerting thing to see. The next generation might be togged up with heads and fur, for instance, to make them look even more like animals, that would make for even more uncomfortable viewing, I reckon. And, then, of course, ultimately, such a robot might be endowed with artificial intelligence, sentience, even. Would kicking a bot that knows what you’re doing be moral?

This also raises another question. If we build sentient robots, would it be sensible to give them pain receptors? Would we want them to know to avoid things that might hurt. And, Asimov aside, might a robot in pain having been kicked feel that retaliation was the ethical thing to do from its perspective?