Domestic Drones

[Gompers]

Hey guys,

So it's finals time, and my final research paper is due soon for my "computer ethics" class (comp sci major). I decided to do my paper on domestic use of drones (i.e. local level police departments, etc.) and would love to hear what you guys think about it.

The paper is a typical for/against model, with ethical frameworks (Kantian, Utilitarian [Act and Rule], and Social Contract).

I'm currently having a surprisingly hard time coming up with "for" reasons for domestication of drones. Aside from traffic, weather, farmland, and immediate response.

Anyhoo - would really appreciate some input!

Thanks!

[Gompers]

Would also like to add, I'm really not sure if I'm entirely for or against domestic drone use. I can understand the uses of them for search and rescue, and criminal apprehension - but I also feel that our 4th amendment liberties would be severely infringed upon.

[SHAFT]

This kind of drone was bad.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g306/eurogibbon/ED209.jpg (http://media.photobucket.com/user/eurogibbon/media/ED209.jpg.html)

[Gompers]

That kind of drone results in Judge Dredd.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLybiG3Fb2hELv5t8yMBw_qRR48QESi mphcvIFcEnA81dzARhz

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

5044

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

Did you look at the border patrol angle? Reduction in manpower along the more dangerous stretches where you wouldn't have agents risking their lives doing all the legwork. You could also track drug cartel mules to their sources and start really putting the screws to them. You could use them to get all treehuggy and go after poachers or track migratory birds, animals, etc. Search and rescue makes the most sense to me out of all of it. With that thermal technology you can find anyone.

[Tgo01]

Did you look at the border patrol angle? Reduction in manpower along the more dangerous stretches where you wouldn't have agents risking their lives doing all the legwork. You could also track drug cartel mules to their sources and start really putting the screws to them. You could use them to get all treehuggy and go after poachers or track migratory birds, animals, etc. Search and rescue makes the most sense to me out of all of it. With that thermal technology you can find anyone.

All good points. Honestly I don't see a problem with non weaponized drones at all. Police/military/what have you already have access to helicopters and the like, all this would do is give them more eyes and at a lower cost. In addition to the above drones could be used to find people growing/making drugs, they could help provide extra eyes at high security events (like the Boston Marathon plans to do from now on), they could also be used to find out who took the last fucking Oreo cookie so I can find that person and beat them silly!

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

All good points. Honestly I don't see a problem with non weaponized drones at all. Police/military/what have you already have access to helicopters and the like, all this would do is give them more eyes and at a lower cost. In addition to the above drones could be used to find people growing/making drugs, they could help provide extra eyes at high security events (like the Boston Marathon plans to do from now on), they could also be used to find out who took the last fucking Oreo cookie so I can find that person and beat them silly!

One day they might be able to deliver beer or groceries via drone!

[Tgo01]

One day they might be able to deliver beer or groceries via drone!

Drone pizza delivery! brb, gotta patent something.

[Gompers]

I have mentioned uses as border patrol, but I think I'll elaborate on the points you mentioned, thanks.

Also, there is a drone called the burrito bomber that some engineers developed that supposedly will fly to the customer that ordered one via their mobile app, and drop a burrito-on-a-parachute over their head.

[Latrinsorm]

Don't get too caught up in the Constitution. It's not an ethical document but a legal one, and only vaguely at that.

With that said, it is always good to anticipate disagreements when thinking philosophically. I think you could get a lot out of contrasting the absolute language of especially the First and Second Amendments with the weasel words in the Fourth, then go into how all three are routinely (and necessarily) infringed upon from a literalist sense. You could take that opportunity to expound on how literalist senses are really stupid, but I recommend focusing on the task at hand.

I would very strongly play up how we are cyborgs, or (equivalently) tool users. Remember that episode of NCIS where the power went out, and they had to check fingerprints by hand? With power (UNLIMITED POWER) we use our cybernetic explants to complete the task with dramatically more speed and accuracy than our meatware could do alone. All "drones" means is giving those explants wings. The advantages are the same, the trust is the same. Police are already allowed (and in fact required) to stand around in public looking at people - we call them patrolmen. If we put another patrolman in a box with a video screen, what has changed? His testimony is more reliable because it has an objective record backing it up.

subzero (and possibly others that I have forgotten) have expressed concerns about how that objective record could be tampered with, so I can only assume (without loss of generality) that others would feel the same way. I would again play up how patrolmen and lying already exist. Tampering with a video isn't impossible, but it is harder than just lying. Check it out, I'll lie right now: actually, my grandfather was not very tall. See how easy that was? It took me no perceptible time over just typing it out. If I had to doctor video evidence, how long would that take? Perceptible time.

[Archigeek]

One day they might be able to deliver beer or groceries via drone!

Fear not dude, your utopia has arrived:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-05/drones-deliver-beer