Drone Pliots - more to consider? Radio 4 Drama

[Mark Kettle 1]

Not quite a book, but a very interesting listen to -Radio Four, Afternoon Drama.

**LINK**

When listening to the drama, the two operators have to weigh up all kinds of ethics as well as the military objectives.

The drama it makes you realise that being able to use a machine and operated it on a screen like a video game to kill other human beings from the comfort of a chair thousands of miles away, is a sobering thought.

The RAF are not keen on the term "drone", preferring the 'remotely piloted air systems' and make clear that these are not autonomous systems and that a human being crucially decides whether or not to use weapons.

I know drones are also used to help surveys borders, monitor organised crime and combat people trafficking. But I ask the question how far or could technology take over in combat?

 

 

 

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 18/10/2015 10:10:46

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 18/10/2015 10:12:38

[Dave Hopkin]

As Western Nations become increasingly "casualty adverse" then the desire for removing a human from the battle area will increase, the use of Aerial Systems is well publicised but there are similar developments taking place in the arena of ground warfare too (though not as far advanced)

How far can it go? God knows, with the research dollars going into AI then its anyones guess - but there would be a moral watershed at the point fully autonomous systems were viable

[Mark Kettle 1]

Good point Dave.

[Dave Hopkin]

But its a point that many nations are pondering, the United Nations have facilitated a number of conferences in this are **LINK**

So it would appear that the UN is concerned about the prospect and starting the ball moving towards reaching agreement on what is ok and what is not