Drones and the Future of War

The war in Ukraine has seen a proliferation of aerial drones for both surveillance and combat.

The military advantages of these relatively cheap systems are obvious – especially for a force taking on a more conventionally powerful foe – and there is nothing so useful to a soldier as knowing what lies over a hill.

But does the increasing sophistication of the technology point to a future in which artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons also become commonplace? And if that happens – what ethical questions might it raise?

For People and Power, filmmakers William Davies and Rory Challands went to find out.