Startseite
Podcasts
re:publica 17 - All Sessions Podcast
From killing to healing: A tool called "Drone"

From killing to healing: A tool called "Drone"

re:publica 17 - All Sessions vor 9 Jahren

Rarely has a technology incited so much negativity from its advent as the drone technology. In so many war-affected countries including Pakistan, the word “drones” provokes the image of vicious, killing robots, and not without reason. In safer regions, pe

0:00

27:39

Samira Hayat We live in an era where technology is progressing at
an unprecedented pace. Science fiction is becoming reality and
humanity seems unable to catch up. And just like the warnings of
the sci-fi movies, humans feel that the technology is going out of
hands. Many feel that the negative ethical implications of some
technologies outweigh their human-friendly usage. The drone
technology is one such technology that seems to be going rogue.
Though the skepticism towards drone technology stands valid all
over the world, countries like Pakistan have borne the brunt of its
advent, losing many innocent lives as collateral damage. Still, one
wonders, how can humans keep on supporting the development of such
devices? Humans are curious beings, fascinated by their
imagination. They are also builders, with the desire to turn their
imagination into reality. This means that humans will keep
developing tools to make sci-fi of today a reality of tomorrow.
They will keep developing better and more "intelligent" drones,
even drone swarms, capable of much more than what they do today. My
view is that, like any other technology, drones are nothing more
than a tool. Whether they go rogue or stay ethical is in the hands
of the ones developing and employing them. If humans using the
tools are human-friendly, the tools will automatically comply.
Today, regardless of the negative connotation of the word “drones”,
the examples of drone systems helping to improve human lives are
abundant. If humans become less skeptical of the tool, and more
aware of their responsibility as the wielder of the tool, numerous
such contributive applications will be possible. Needless to say
that debates about possible ethical implications of emerging
technologies like drones are imperative. These topics have to be
addressed in the course of the development of such technologies and
not afterwards. Being critical of today's developments may keep us
from being skeptical of such developments tomorrow.