Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – a Lethal Weapon of Tomorrow for Terrorists Cover Image

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – a Lethal Weapon of Tomorrow for Terrorists
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – a Lethal Weapon of Tomorrow for Terrorists

Author(s): Aleksander Ksawery Olech
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences
Published by: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek
Keywords: Terrorism; drones; artificial intelligence; technology; security

Summary/Abstract: Terrorism has been used as a form of combat for centuries. Over the years, the tools used by terrorists have evolved. While attacks with cold weapons still take place, nowadays terrorists also use explosives, machine guns, guided missiles and increasingly often drones. The present growth of the arms market has led to terrorist groups being heavily militarized, as they can successfully acquire modern weapons and subsequently use them in their attacks. This state of affairs has directly affected the security of states and societies, and subsequently became a principal subject of discussion on international security forums. Contemporary global terrorist threats also harness artificial intelligence that supports weaponized robots, missiles, as well as clusters of killer drones. This narrative arose a few years ago, indicating that terrorists may have a vastly greater array of options at their disposal because they may cooperate with some states that would back them up. The chance for terrorist organisations to gain access to artificial intelligence technologies only increased due to the global competition surrounding it. Due to this potential spreading, terrorists will have a chance to operate weapons supported by AI. These events then merge into a deeply concerning scenario which conceivably may have to be confronted. The threat of terrorist organisations possessing and using swarms of drones does not seem to be very distant.

  • Issue Year: 32/2022
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 44-60
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: English