AI Drones: Advantages and Disadvantages

This article explores the pros and cons of AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones.

What is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Drone?

Introduction:

• An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or drone, is a small aircraft that operates without a human pilot.
• An AI drone incorporates artificial intelligence algorithms, enabling it to fly autonomously.
• It utilizes mathematical and control theory-based algorithms for various functionalities.
• These drones are equipped with wide-field cameras, tactical sensors, facial recognition algorithms, localization technologies, and potentially shaped explosives.

Figure 1 shows the basic drone components.

• AI drones utilize a VPU (Visual Processing Unit), a small silicon device.
• This allows visual and AI processing in a compact, embedded device.

Benefits or Advantages of AI Drones

Here are the key benefits of AI drones:

• Collision Avoidance: Algorithms allow the drone to fly safely and perform tasks independently.
• User and Location Recognition: They can recognize users and identify people’s locations.
• Compact and Lightweight: Their small size and light weight makes them highly portable.
• Interactive Control: They can be controlled via hand gestures, allowing them to land on or take off from your palm.
• Versatile Applications: Like regular drones, they can be used in agriculture for crop monitoring, forestry, scouting, etc.
• Autonomous Battlefield Operation: They can operate independently in battlefields without human intervention.
• Facial Recognition for Identification: They can differentiate between “bad guys” and “good guys” based on facial recognition.
• Faster Reaction Time: Their processors react significantly faster (reportedly 100 times faster) than humans.
• Anti-Sniper Capabilities: Their stochastic motion makes them difficult to target.
• Penetration Capabilities: They can penetrate buildings, cars, and trains to track individuals and are difficult to stop once deployed.
• Shorter Wars (Potentially): When equipped with weapons, AI drones could shorten the duration of conflicts.
• Benefit to Law Enforcement and Government Agencies: Aid military, law enforcement, and other government agencies in their missions.

Drawbacks or Disadvantages of AI Drones

Here are the downsides of AI drones:

• Potential for Autonomous Destruction: Weaponized AI drones can cause significant damage without human control. This poses a risk if the technology falls into the wrong hands.
• Security and Privacy Breaches: They can compromise individual security and privacy.
• High Costs: Due to the scarcity of experienced programmers and the complexity of software programming, they can be expensive.
• Job Displacement: The use of AI drones and AI robots can lead to significant unemployment.
• Dependence on AI: As with smartphones, reliance on AI-powered drones could decrease human mental capabilities over time.