Drones

At the same time, the military can use them to "specifically" eliminate suspected terrorists or spy on demonstrators without having to leave their own country. But what significance will drones have in the future? Are they "the next big thing" or the final nail in the coffin of international legitimacy and privacy? At SXSW in Austin, Texas, the topic was eagerly discussed, as this technology seems to be well on the way to becoming mainstream.

Basically, two main lines of discussion can be identified in the debate: the use of drones by the state and their use by private individuals or companies. It is striking that there is still no regulation in either case and that Europe is one step ahead of the USA in this area. For example, the EU has allocated 50 million dollars for the development of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for emergency response, while in the USA no department of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) owns a drone. However, there is also an ethical dimension to the use of drones by governments: nations are developing weapons that are becoming increasingly autonomous. Critical voices have therefore said that it is a matter of time before the weapon itself can decide who it wants to take out. The omnipresent issue of privacy is also at the heart of the discussions here. The much-heard argument "why should I worry if I'm not doing anything wrong?" is too short-sighted in this context. As we know, governments change and new laws are passed. Nowhere is there a guarantee that they will always be in our favor.

The live demo of a teaser drone dominated the discussion on private use. "The Chaotic Unmanned Personal Intercept Drone" (Cupid) is a prototype equipped with a stun gun with a power of 80,000 volts. By comparison, the teasers used as police weapons generally have 50,000 volts. The drone on display can be aimed at a person, at whom the robot then takes aim.

William Hurley, designer of the Cupid, sees the main application of his product in home surveillance, as the Cupid can stop burglars. This saves the owner from having to pursue the intruder with a weapon. "Does anyone have any idea how many parcels Amazon delivers every day? Will we still be able to see the sky for all the drones?" Noel Sharkey asked his audience at the panel discussion "Drones: Policy, Privacy & Public Safety" in Austin. As crazy as these questions sound, we will probably have to wait until 2019 before drones can be used in transportation. However, widespread use in agriculture or construction can be expected as early as 2016.  

Manuel P. Nappo, Director of Studies CAS Social Media, Management HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich. www.fh-hwz.ch/smm