Joe D. Priest
Park University
Abstract
Drones have been a debate topic for years but the subject matter has become more important recently due to the deployment of military drones around the world. This paper will analyze arguments of both proponents and opponents of the usage of drones in both the civilian and military sectors of life and present interpretations of both sides on key arguments. By looking at arguments presented on articles from popular news sources such as CNN (Cable News Network), BBC (British Broadcast Corporation), and news blogs, we can form a better understanding of the applications, and functions of today’s drones and how they …show more content…
With billions of dollars being spent on the military budget and only one percent of that going toward the drone program, it’s easy to see why the government is interested in drones. Drones have a large success ratio and are cheap, effective, and ensure the pilots safety. Compared to F-35 and F-16 flights, the drones only constitute 15% of the overall cost of flights for these aircraft. While these numbers are great, they can be even further reduced with the introduction of AI. The programs that are being worked on for the drones are set to take over for pilots meaning that the overhead for drone flights will be even less. The biggest question that’s raised by this addition is, are the drones smart enough? With human life as the gambling chip, the test of drones with AI is something that can’t be solidly agreed upon. If a drone pilot makes a mistake, that person can be tried and given a sentence but if the drones AI made the decision, than who’s to blame? This ambiguity has led to major halts in the implementation of AI within the drones. Eight to seventeen percent of drone strike casualties are civilians. This means that almost 1,047 civilians were killed in Pakistan at the hands of drones. This is a high number and considering it’s on a lower scale of deployment, this number could be even higher. Drones are a relatively new technology and their deployment is limited due to the subject matters sensitivity internationally and locally. Research at Stanford University and New York University concluded that people who lived in the drone areas experienced horrors that were more far reaching than just the strikes. Town’s people within these areas must conduct themselves normally within their community; buying fruit, going to school, and work and all with the constant buzzing of drones overheard. Civilians in these areas live in fear that they could be killed by a drone attack at any moment, which disrupts