drone

Must Watch: “Slaughterbots” Short by Stop Autonomous Weapons

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Looking like a creepy TED Talk, this sci-fi short film from Stop Autonomous Weapons looks at a possible near future of autonomous slaughterbot drones trained to kill a specific human target.

It’s created by Stop Autonomous Weapons, a group dedicated to bringing pressure to update the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) to explicitly include autonomous weapons. They even set up a creepy StratoEnergetics slaughterbot manufacturer website 😉

If this future isn’t what you want, please take action at https://autonomousweapons.org/

 

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Drone UAVs: Pros vs Cons Symposium Videos

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drones-uavIn June I did 6 conferences in about 30 days and, while the UAVs: Pros and Cons Symposium was the last one chronologically, it was among the best ones in terms of quality. [Especially if you are interested in issues related to drones]

Here are the video recordings of the opening introduction as well as the four main keynote speeches during the event held at Ryerson University on June 30, 2013 in Toronto, Canada.

 

Katina Michael Opening Speech at the UAVs: Pros vs Cons Symposium

 

Professor Katina Michael from the University of Wollongong opens the UAV’s Pros vs Cons Symposium at Ryerson University that was held in Toronto on June 30.

 

Drones for Good – Ian Hannah, Avro Robotics

 

Ian Hahhan from Avro Robotics gives a keynote speech at the UAVs: Pros vs Cons Symposium at Ryerson University as to why drones are good.

 

Drones for Bad: Prof. Avner Levin, Ryerson University 

 

Prof. Avner Levin from Ryerson University gives a keynote speech at the UAVs: Pros vs Cons Symposium as to why drones are bad.

 

Policy: Drones, Law and Society – Prof. Andrew Clement, University of Toronto 

 

Prof. Andrew Clement from the University of Toronto gives a keynote speech at the UAVs: Pros vs Cons Symposium titled Policy: Drones, Law and Society.

 

Matthew Schroyer: Drone Journalism et al… 

 

Matthew Schroyer gives a keynote speech at the UAVs: Pros vs Cons Symposium titled Drone Journalism et al.

Drone: An Action-Packed Sci Fi Short by Robert Glickert

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Drone is an action-packed indy sci fi film by Robert Glickert. It consists of four parts each of which is only 6 to 8 minutes long.

Despite it short length, however, the movie manages to deliver a few good plot-twists and multiple points of view as well as raise a number of important questions about the rules of engagement and the laws of war in the context of drone warfare; human nature and the laws of robotics…

Synopsis: In the near future, war drone technology has advanced and a new weapon has been unleashed – a humanoid drone stronger and faster than any soldier. But in the aftermath of a mysterious incident, damaged battle drone 237 is forced to go on the run with its programmer (Kenneth Choi) to try and take down their corrupt commander (Lance Reddick).

The film was directed by Robert Glickert and featured Lance Reddick and Keneth Choi.

Drone Episode 1:

 

Drone Episode 2:

237’s programmer Jay (Kenneth Choi) finds himself under suspicion from his boss Nissen (Lance Reddick) as he works to help 237 escape from a team of black ops soldiers.

 

Drone Episode 3:

 

Drone Episode 4:

 

The Making of Drone: Behind The Scenes

 

Other cool science fiction films

Obama’s Not So Secret Drone War

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The Obama Administration has approved five times the number of covert drone strikes that George W. Bush did.

Thomson Reuters Digital Editor Chrystia Freeland sits down with Reuters’ Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist David Rohde to discuss his special report detailing the quiet expansion of presidential power under Obama. During their conversation David and Chrystia cover topics such as: the 3 american citizens executed abroad by the US government; the differences between CIA and US military drone strikes; the differences between the so called ‘personality’ and ‘signature’ strike; why it is a myth that drones are ‘light footprint’; the absurd covert/overt relationship between the United States and Pakistan.

Check out the full video on Obama’s secret drone war explained by Reuters’ David Rohde on Fast Forward:

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