Game of Drones

[Sappho de Miranda]

Unmanned aerial vehicles known as drones have made it into the everyday market giving the impression of a novel toy with novel uses. However, ethics, law and war are yet to grasp the potentially sinister impact these seemingly toy like devices. This thread then is about exploring the potential of drones with a mind to exploring the ethical issues, and possibly the ethical solutions of this new age device.

For example, whilst it is that drones can be used in novel ways to deliver little parcels to consumers, equally it can be used by terrorists to deliver anthrax. And whilst police can use these devices to hunt down criminals on the run, it can also be used by private citizens to stalk their victims.

I don't really know a lot about drones, so shall defer to those who have been following the rise of the drones assuming they would be more clear on the implications.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

New technology is always going to be snapped up by the military, to see if it can find more ingenious and efficient ways to kill people.

[Sappho de Miranda]

New technology is always going to be snapped up by the military, to see if it can find more ingenious and efficient ways to kill people.

Drones are already in the general population, but can the general population be trusted with it, given that there are no laws to govern it?

I was watching Australia's 60 minutes program the other night which was showing how research is exploring swarming drones... that is, groups of drones that work in unison to achieve what ever goal. Drones are programmed to learn. In one example the drones were playing a game of catch with each other using a small rod with the aim of balancing the rod vertically as they throw it to each other. In other instance the drones were 'learning' to follow the trajectory of a ball. The experimenter threw the ball in various ways with the drone seeking to mimic that movement. Yet again, these drones can be manipulated with hand movements only without the need of a control/ joy stick. As was said by the researchers... "The cat is already out of the bag".... so what they do now is look for what the implications are in order to counter negative impacts.

My brother owns a couple of drones... they are easily bought by ordinary citizens at an affordable price.

Terrorism and civil unrest with drones is a scary concept.

As to the military... well... their drones are far more advanced than those of ordinary citizens, but as is always the case with military technology... it will find its way into the ordinary populous.

[Bill Wiltrack]

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You are not in control.


You cannot do anything.


...but perhaps, if you would like to become philosophical, you could try to deal with that reality.





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[Blaggard]

Drone warfare is here, we can now send them to do reconnaissance missions that would cost many lives. I Am not sure what is at issue with that, and I don't think anyone would have one per se.

Now I think war is a mediocre peice of shit these days that has had little or no success since the early 20th century, but pragmatically I do see what use there is in drones. Hell this forum is populated with many of them. That's a joke by the way, I don't really think that it was just a bon mot (on the whole most people here are top draw in the non drone stakes).

I do agree with the OPs concerns though, but I don't think the technology is readily available to the average stalker as yet, at least not anything sophisticated enough to really not be noticed right away, such as covert drones in war situations which spot targets and people and so on from 20000ft, although anything available now to the military commonly ends up in civillian hands so... mete for the future though, and it is a very good point...

Big brother may not be watching you, although he might, but your ex girlfriend could be soon...

.



You are not in control.


You cannot do anything.

You can do something but yes you are not in control.

...but perhaps, if you would like to become philosophical, you could try to deal with that reality.

True but then anyone who isn't 5 kinda knows that Bill.

[Sappho de Miranda]

A MAN has been charged after allegedly trying to fly drugs into a maximum-security prison in Melbourne’s west using a drone."]

Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Batty said police and Air Wing were called to the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Ravenhall about 4.30pm after reports of a drone hovering near the facility.

They found a man and a woman in a car on Middle Rd shortly after with what was believed to be a drone with four engines and a small quantity of drugs.

The 28-year-old man, from Lalor, was arrested.

Source

The drones are coming! The drones are coming! But this time they're not armed with hellfire missiles. These drones are packing a new kind of heat: steaming pizzas, fresh tacos and cold beer.
Drones – the popular term for a wide range of unmanned aerial vehicles that are autonomous, semi-autonomous, or totally remote controlled – are not just limited to military use. Even though drones rightfully call up images of large, ominous, lethal, all-seeing machines, their smaller cousins are breaking into the civilian world of consumer products and business operations. And they're doing so in a variety of strange ways that may change the face of modern transportation – from how late-night munchies arrive at your doorstep to how equipment and medicine is delivered to remote regions.

Source

I'm a great fan of Iain Banks, who created 'The Culture', an aggressively and very proud Hedonist Civilization of the Artificial Technology Generation in our future. In this culture, are little hovering artificial intelligence's who act as our personal assistants in the way that our mobile phones now are, but then some.


I think we are getting closer to the technology of such hovering artificial minds. I think the GY gens will see at least hovering artificial interfaces that responds to human voice, and perhaps, in America because of the right to bear arms, and because these personal hovering devices are owned by humans or corporations, you will see armed hovering personal devices, capable of attack and defence.

[Impenitent]

of course the best drones blindly obey their religious leaders for the promise of heaven...

politicians could never be misconstrued as those to be obeyed religiously...

-Imp