Hey Friends,

Have you heard of the term Internet of Things (IoT)?

It is a concept where every day items are connected to the Internet to share information, without the need for any human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. For example, electricity companies used to send an engineer to your home to read your meter and manually input your usage data into a billing database. This was then used to calculate your bill. Now, many people have smart meters which are connected to the Internet, and autonomously share your usage data with the electricity company. Very little human interaction is now required to generate your bill.

An estimated 20 billion devices will be connected to the Internet in 2020 alone. It is now possible to buy Internet connected: security cameras, baby monitors, doorbells, heating systems, plugs, speakers (Echo, Assistant), lightbulbs, garage openers, fridges, etc .... With the number of Internet-connected devices (requiring very little human interaction) on the rise, I noted with interest this week that Amazon have become the third company to receive an air carrier certificate for drone delivery. UPS and Alphabet (Google's parent company) have already been granted the certificate, and are working on similar projects (Flight Forward, Wing aviation).

Like many things in the IoT paradigm, drones have a lot to offer. Although birthed in a military context, and used widely for reconnaissance and even assassination, they are now used more broadly to respond to natural disasters, deliver aid and health care, and monitor nature and wildlife. It is unlikely we need to worry about "killer drones" targeting us in the future, however, before we all sign up blindly for Amazon Air, we should, like any technological disrupter, give their use some critical thought.

First, it is important to note the technology is still in it's infancy and is likely to have issues. For example, researchers have already demonstrated how easily drones can be hijacked or intercepted. I'm sure many hackers are chomping at the bit to have some fun here, and I know if they were being introduced in the 1980's, I would have been waiting, peeshooter ready, for one to fly over.

Second, since many drones are equipped with cameras, there are also obvious issues relating to privacy. In addition, drones are noisy and intrusive. I imagine people who decide not to use them, will be unhappy if they are flying over their garden every 5 minutes, delivering packages to neighbours?

Third, many people are concerned over the safety of thousands of drones flying above our heads. What happens when one crashes into something, or drops a package on a person's head? I can see the "Where there's a blame, there's a claim" Adverts already.

Finally, there are very real and serious concerns about how they could be used in the hands of criminals or terrorists. If drones flying over our heads become commonplace, how do we protect citizens from harm?

As with all technology I talk about in this newsletter, the conversation around drone use is very nuanced. In the context of my Digital Balance philosophy, we need to think about how we can use drones, but ensure their use is safe, secure and supports the values and ambitions we hold. Does the convenience of having a package delivered in 30 minutes outweigh the issues highlighted above (and many more) ? only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, the drone delivery revolution has probably begun.

Have a fantastic week

Chris

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Things I've found interesting this week

\\ One Article, Article, Article, Article, Links to some drone stories I found interesting.

\\ Two Link to a peashooter for anyone too young to remember.

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