Clearly this is going to become a much more complicated business than anyone would like imagine, especially as these “over-the-counter” drone systems become smaller and more autonomous. Even here at home, as time passes, murder by drone is likely to become a very real thing. The police have already killed a suspect using a robotic system, and criminals may find that the drone is far better tool for taking out one’s enemies from afar than a gun’s bullet, especially consider that said bullet cannot turn corners.

As our lives become more encompassed by these buzzing craft, distinguishing friend from foe will be all but impossible. Washington DC and its surroundings is already a drone free zone, as are other sensitive areas. Expect many others to follow especially if the technology cannot be regulated to the point where it can’t be so easily abused. This is a problem pro-drone industries should confront head-on as the future of the technology and its applications likely depends on it.

The thing is that we have rapidly moved from small but deadly and expensive suicide drones capable of inflicting lethal force, to even simpler and cheaper ones that drop expendable munitions and can be quickly reused again. What’s most concerning is that the majority of the innovation in this field has been achieved by the enemy in a warzone. This is both an amazing achievement and a horrific one that is a harbinger of things to come. Meanwhile it seems as if the exploding low-end drone industry, the US government—including the Pentagon—are in denial of just what this all means for the future of warfare and quite frankly, humanity.

Contact the author at Tyler@thedrive.com