Police in the US have been quietly testing a highly-advanced robot dog alongside officers, prompting an urgent response from a civil liberties group

The American Civil Liberties Union made a public records request to robotics firm Boston Dynamics after the Massachusetts State Police published a video demonstration of the Spot robot dog.

It is believed the robotic dogs, which are capable of opening doors and navigating obstacles, have already been used during live incidents.

“All too often, the deployment of these technologies happens faster than our social, political, or legal systems react,” the ACLU said in a statement shared with TechCrunch.

“We urgently need more transparency from government agencies, who should be upfront with the public about their plans to test and deploy new technologies.”

Read more: yahoo