The Future

Abstract

Chapter 9 restates the major theme of the book: that drones change strategic choices for their users by altering their calculation of risks and expanding their goals. It notes that while drones have many peacetime and humanitarian uses, it is their destructive potential that haunts the general public. The apparent absence of risk when using drones in conflict zones changes the choices and behavior of users. It concludes that drones cannot be considered as politically neutral, but rather as irreducibly political and inclined to privilege specific modes of action and thinking. It also identifies future trends that might intersect with drone technology, including the rise of AI, autonomy, swarming, miniaturization and others.