Episode Details

Drones are everywhere today. Cheap and tiny accelerometers, gyroscopes and processors have allowed us to create drones that anyone can afford and everyone can fly. Drones have been used by law enforcement and military forces, as well – for surveillance but also for killing. With the rapid development of AI technologies, what happens when we make these drones autonomous? What are the implications for privacy and security? I’ll discuss this and more with Nick Weaver, computer and cybersecurity expert, and chief mad scientist at Skerry Technologies.

Interview Notes

• Nick Weaver: https://www1.icsi.berkeley.edu/~nweaver/ 
• NYPD drone use: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/01/drones-labor-day-parties-new-york/ 
• AI drone “kills” its operator: https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-ai-drone-kills/fact-check-simulation-of-ai-drone-killing-its-human-operator-was-hypothetical-air-force-says-idUSL1N38023R/ 
• The Future of Drone Warfare: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/10/the-future-of-drone-warfare.html
• Betaflight: https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight
• Ardupilot: https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot
• PX4: https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot 
• Small Business Innovation Research: https://www.sbir.gov/ 

Further Info

• Data Privacy Week: https://staysafeonline.org/programs/data-privacy-week/ 
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Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

• 0:00:21: Data Privacy Week teaser
• 0:01:11: Apple backdoor clarification
• 0:03:14: Interview setup
• 0:07:15: What first got you interested in autonomous drone technology?
• 0:10:27: What technologies have enabled the explosion of cheap drones?
• 0:15:22: What are the capabilities of modern consumer drones?
• 0:17:54: Are there any legal restrictions on flying drones?
• 0:20:44: Are there privacy laws around drone surveillance?
• 0:22:2