Taranis Cool super toy or world menace

[G7PSK]

The UK has now developed a new super drone that flies at supersonic speeds and is comppleatly autonomous once launched.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2552361/Britains-deadly-superdrone-makes-test-flight-Taranis-unmanned-military-vehicle-surpassed-expectations-air.html

Is this cool or a real threat to us all.

[Sigmoid]

Well, are manned supersonic planes a threat to all of us?

In a way yes, as they can be used to carry a nuclear warhead. In a way, they aren't. In a way they are awesome, and I want more of them, esp. in civilian use (like a successor to the Concorde program).
I am a huge fan of the civilian use of UAVs*, but do accept the fact that military use has been, and will continue to be an important driving force behind technology.

It's not the technology that is a threat, but politicians (and grassroots fanatics) who make wars. While the H-bomb is usually seen as a threat, I do think the threat of mutual destruction just might have stopped some unresponsible and downright insane politicians from going to war once again.
And you can kill millions with nothing but Kalashnikovs just fine. You don't need tech for that.

* - Those interested, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/user/nastycop420

[pickle9000]

I've always had the mind that a small unmanned vehicle (like a boat or a quad with explosives or a drug carrier) to be more of an everyday problem. One that a regular criminal could make use of.

[G7PSK]

But these drones are "autonomous" once launched they decide the target and whether to fire or not without any human intervention. This is getting very close to the machine deciding if its going to launch itself or not. Are we drifting into the rise of the machines while wearing rose tinted glasses. We should be.

[Sigmoid]

As a software engineer, I'll start worrying when we won't be able to read the code. Currently we're still doing 95% of the writing, so it's all okay.

But these drones are "autonomous" once launched they decide the target and whether to fire or not without any human intervention. This is getting very close to the machine deciding if its going to launch itself or not. Are we drifting into the rise of the machines while wearing rose tinted glasses. We should be.

[scientist]

Funny, Taranis is the name of a popular, new, highly capable Chinese RC transmitter that came out recently.

[peter.mitchell]

Funny, Taranis is the name of a popular, new, highly capable Chinese RC transmitter that came out recently.

This is immediately what i thought of...