By Redckozubova M.

6/11/15

Drones. Are we ready ?!

Drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have no human pilot on board, and
instead controlled by a person on the ground or autonomously via a computer program.
These stealth craft are becoming increasingly popular, not just for war and military
purposes, but also for everything from wildlife and atmospheric research to disaster relief
and sports photography.
Drones are becoming the eyes and ears
of scientists by surveying the ground for
archaeological sites, signs of illegal
hunting and crop damage, and even
zipping inside hurricanes to study the
wild storms. You can even rent a
personal drone to soar above the
horizon and snap a photo or video. Let
me try to weigh the pros and cons of this
innovation.

As I have already said, drones can be used not only in military aims. First of all, just take a
look at just incredible drone photos! Nowadays in USA there is even an Dronestagam a
photo-sharing platform for awesome aerial shots. Moreover, for the second year in a row,
drone enthusiasts the world over took part in a photo competition fit for the modern age.
Sponsored by Dronestagram, the Aerial Photography Contest is a competition for those
who take their best photos from above. More than 5,000 amateur and professional
photographers entered the competition, which included categories such as Nature, Places
and "Dronies" (selfies taken by a
drone). This photo won first place in
the competitions nature category:

Snorkelers swim with sharks near

Moorea Island in French Polynesia.

Credit: Mike Gandouin, Dronestagram

 As for the pros again, Delivery drones could be arriving to your doorstep in a decade -
one Google executive says. The Google concept, called Project Wing, would enable people
to get products delivered "in short order," even in the most populated areas, Dave Vos, the
project's leader. In order to take to the skies, drones need to not only communicate with
people on the ground, but also with other high-fliers that are delivering small packages,
taking aerial surveys or doing other work, Vos also said. It seems to me that it`s an amazing
opportunity for urgent delivery to be done in time.
However, Civilian opinions about drones are typically negative, since they are viewed as
an invasion force. The mere presence of drones has been known to convert civilians into
military combats. Furthermore, when drones cause collateral damage, such as killing
civilians and damaging civilian property, the opinions of civilians decrease even more so.
Additionally, some cultures believe the use of drones as not brave and cold hearted. As a
result, drones are sometimes counterproductive by more destabilizing some regions.
The last but not the least warfare should not be forgotten either.

A man walks near graffiti protesting U.S. drone operations in Yemen last April. (Yahya Arhab / EPA)

In an almost-invisible campaign that started modestly under Bush and expanded

dramatically under Obama, the U.S. has launched more than 1,600 drone strikes in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and even, in one case, in the Philippines,
according to Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations.
But consider how those drone strikes appear if you are an ordinary civilian in, say,
northwestern Pakistan. You know you are in constant danger; a missile may strike your
home at any time without warning. It's not clear who's shooting; the war and its
combatants are officially secret. It's not clear how you can avoid becoming a target. Just
because drone wars have succeeded in killing terrorists doesn't mean they're working!
Overall, despite the fact that drones will save money and are more energy efficient, have
the potential to transform multiple industries including telecommunications, weather
forecast, maritime monitoring, transportation, search and rescue, and oil and gas
exploration etc., Independent International Research Group has suggested that since 2004
around 4000 people have been killed by drones in countries like Pakistan. Reportedly,
hundreds of drones attacked casualties have been civilians

***
It began two years ago. A car driving through the desert. Intelligence report said there
were three-high-risking Afghan militants in this car. So the drone pilot was given the green
light to strike, but then he saw those red dots on the trunk and he had a feeling so he
aborted the mission. There were no militants in that car. The red dots were roses, because
the young couple driving down that desert road had just gotten married.
The next generation of drones won`t have pilots. The new AI software will give drones
decision making capability. They`ll assess the data and take lethal action all in their own.
Those new drones would turn that car to ash without hesitation.
That`s why, when lives are at stake, we need a man who sees roses. We need the human
factor.