[JoeAltmaier]

The idea is, we've not had robots to do our killing for us in the past. This is something new. You can kill (bugs in this case) without being present or even knowing its happening. Worth an article I think.

[michaelt]

  The idea is, we've not had robots to do our
  killing for us in the past.

A bit of trivia I picked up in a robotics class: Most of the common definitions of 'robot' include cruise missiles, which we've had since the 1970s at least.

[JasonFruit]

Setting out poison, traps, or mines, as we've done for centuries, is pretty similar; it's meant to kill in our absence, and can easily go wrong.