When the subject of Robot + lethal force are combined, people think of Robocop, specifically the ED-209, not the cyborg. That's the implication. An autonomous robot which carries out "justice."

It would be appropriate to call it by it's modifier, a remote-controlled robot.

I’d buy that for a dollar!

Today I learned my toaster is a robot

Observing this disagreement without having first read the article, you're coming off as unreasonable in your details, though your original criticism may make sense. Autonomy is not, in practice, a prerequisite for the label "robot", no matter how much we would like it to be (and I would like it to be). This is especially true of standins for dangerous operations. We all know that e.g. bomb disposal robots are robots in normal writing and normal conversation. It seems like a bad-faith nit-pick to assert otherwise.

Even if you disagree that this is the "common" understanding, the sarcastic exaggeration is meaningless.

I agree with another commenter, that a more reasonable criticism would be that it should be called a "remote controlled robot", rather than just a robot.

I'm agreement with you but think that the phrase "robots with lethal shotguns" is scare mongering.

What's the CA legal definition of a robot?

According to Merriam-Webster, a "robot" is: > 1. a machine that resembles a living creature in being capable of moving independently (as by walking or rolling on wheels) and performing complex actions (such as grasping and moving objects) > 2A. a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks (as in an industrial assembly line) > 2B. a mechanism guided by automatic controls > 3. a person who resembles a machine in seeming to function automatically or in lacking normal feelings or emotions

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robot

Maybe a remote control device could fit the definition of 2B, but it's a stretch, as that's so broad that an alarm clock could be a "robot".