What does an ethical drone look like?

Drone technology is taking the world – and Denmark – by storm. Drones used to be associated with military platforms like the Predator, but now they are often thought of as fun toys, like the DJI Phantom hobby drone featured in an episode of south Park.

Drones are being used in many civil applications as well. They are already transporting blood and medical supplies in Rwanda and Tanzania, delivering food in Reykjavik, and aiding criminal investigations in Odense. And they could soon be seen all over Funen (Fyn).

Drones already impact our society and will likely have an increasing influence on many aspects of our lives, including our safety, privacy, and jobs. This leads to deeper philosophical questions: What is our conception of “the good life”, and do drones support it? How do we take full advantage of the opportunities that drones offer, while mitigating the risks?

Drone design will influence these issues: Technology increases our power to perform some action, and this action carries values with it. Which values will our drones embody? What does an ethical drone look like?

This talk will address these questions and more. It will be a presentation and discussion of the findings and development of Dylan Cawthorne's PhD into ethical civil drone design.

There will be sandwiches and beverages during the event.

Dylan Cawthorne is an Associate Professor in the Unmanned Aerial system Center at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. He has a BSc in mechanical engineering, and a MSc in product design an innovation.