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Purpose – The rapid advancement of new technologies necessitates the adaptation of existing resources to address the evolving demands of contemporary conflicts among nations. As exemplified by the emergence of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), these technologies have become indispensable components of military drone operations. This study investigates the role of innovation models in driving Portuguese Innovation and Development, focusing specifically on military drones. Design/methodology/approach – Through an examination of existing scientific and doctrinal literature, this research establishes a connection between theoretical concepts and the practical deployment of drones within the Portuguese ground forces. Employing a qualitative approach, this study follows a case study, with data collection following the principle of triangulation. Findings – The findings of this research reveal several attributes crucial to drone utilization, such as optronic capability and drone range. These attributes are vital for ensuring high-quality, real-time imagery transmission and operational effectiveness in military activities. Originality/value – This study contributes to the understanding of the implications of drone attributes for the Command, Control, Communications and Information Systems (C3IS) capabilities of the Portuguese ground forces. It highlights the importance of continued emphasis on drone development and innovation as a key priority for the Portuguese Army.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are cutting-edge technologies used for military purposes world-wide at tactical, operational, and strategic levels. This study provides an overview of the history and current state of military drones, considering a global and Ecuadorian background. Then, a classification of the UAVs developed and built in Ecuador is conducted based on their endurance, altitude, and wing span to understand the national context and progress. The research also delves into the applications of UAVs in several military operations and missions, aiming to create a framework that aligns UAV capabilities with specific operational needs; this permits the identification of the challenges and opportunities the country faces. Unmanned aerial systems have changed the battlefield, and the government needs to adapt to a national strategy that incorporates this technology; this research analyzes and provides insights to improve military capabilities such as exploring modern UAV military applications, technical updates in communication, navigation, and data acquisition systems; and the integration of emerging technologies like smart materials, artificial intelligence, and electric propulsion systems. This study provides valuable insights into the Ecuadorian UAVs that enhance the country’s military operations and offer some applications and uses of this technology for national security.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are cutting-edge technologies used for military purposes worldwide at tactical, operational, and strategic levels. This study provides an overview of the history and current state of military drones, considering a global and Ecuadorian background. Then, a classification of the UAVs developed and built in Ecuador is conducted based on their endurance, altitude, and wing span to understand the national context and progress. The research also delves into the applications of UAVs in several military operations and missions, aiming to create a framework that aligns UAV capabilities with specific operational needs; this permits the identification of the challenges and opportunities the country faces. Unmanned aerial systems have changed the battlefield, and the government needs to adapt to a national strategy that incorporates this technology; this research analyzes and provides insights to improve military capabilities such as exploring modern UAV military applications, technical updates in communication, navigation, and data acquisition systems; and the integration of emerging technologies like smart materials, artificial intelligence, and electric propulsion systems. This study provides valuable insights into the Ecuadorian UAVs that enhance the country’s military operations and offer some applications and uses of this technology for national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classification of the global catastrophic risks of AI is presented, along with a comprehensive list of previously identified risks. This classification allows the identification of several new risks. We show that at each level of AI's intelligence power, separate types of possible catastrophes dominate. Our classification demonstrates that the field of AI risks is diverse, and includes many scenarios beyond the commonly discussed cases of a paperclip maximizer or robot-caused unemployment. Global catastrophic failure could happen at various levels of AI development, namely, (1) before it starts self-improvement, (2) during its takeoff, when it uses various instruments to escape its initial confinement, or (3) after it successfully takes over the world and starts to implement its goal system, which could be plainly unaligned, or feature-flawed friendliness. AI could also halt at later stages of its development either due to technical glitches or ontological problems. Overall, we identified around several dozen scenarios of AI-driven global catastrophe. The extent of this list illustrates that there is no one simple solution to the problem of AI safety, and that AI safety theory is complex and must be customized for each AI development level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can artificial intelligence (AI) be more ethical than human intelligence? Can it respect human values better than a human? This article examines some issues raised by the AI with respect to ethics. The utilitarian approach can be a solution, especially the one that uses agent-based theory. We have chosen two extreme cases: combat drones, vectors of death, and life supporting companion robots. The ethics of AI and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) must be studied on the basis of military ethics and human values when fighting. Despite the fact that they are not programmed to hurt humans or harm their dignity, companion robots can potentially endanger their social, moral as well as their physical integrity. An important ethical condition is that companion robots help the nursing staff to take better care of patients while not replacing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes how visual scopic regimes of military drones configure violence as a form of man hunting. For the French philosopher Grégoire Chamayou, man hunting embodies a type of cynegetic (hunting related) violence, which military drones can execute by power surveillance. Research often focuses on the political, legal, anthropological, and ethical aspects of this type of violence; the aspects of its visual framing are often underexposed. In order to change this shortcoming, this article draws attention to the medial aspects of this violence by investigating the drone’s scopic regime. The scopic regime refers to the drone’s visual configuration, i.e. its ocular operations of capture, its optical perspective on the target, the visual sensing of the drone pilot, as well as the target’s range of vision. Three scopic dimensions of military drones, namely hypervisibility, visual immersion, and invisibility are investigated. In doing so, this article explores how drones stage, interpret, convey, mediate, and execute violence as man hunting. Excursions to the works of contemporary visual artists are conducted in order to illustrate aesthetic interventions against the drone’s visual superpower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Topics include a virus that has infected the system that runs US military drones, a full-duplex wireless technology that doubles mobile-network throughput, a transistor that could let machines interact with living things, a haptic pedestrian navigation system, a new technology for determining a smartphone user's location, and a technique for securing implanted medical devices against hacking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]