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The company that manufactures Tasers has begun developing a remote-operated drone armed with stun guns, pitched as a means to detect and respond to mass shootings but criticized by the Arizona-based business’s own ethics board.
Such a drone system has been privately discussed within the company in the past, but executives at public safety company Axon decided to announce the project publicly Thursday in the aftermath of recent mass shootings in places such as Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.
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“Today, the only viable response to a mass shooter is another person with a gun,” said Rick Smith, Axon’s CEO. “In the aftermath of these events, we get stuck in fruitless debates. We need new and better solutions. For this reason, we have elected to publicly engage communities and stakeholders, and develop a remotely operated, non-lethal drone system that we believe will be a more effective, immediate, humane, and ethical option to protect innocent people.”
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The development of a drone system that could feed information to police officers stems from an idea featured in a graphic novel Smith created in 2019. The Taser-armored drones would be one element of a three-part system to address mass shootings, according to the company.
The plan would also integrate cameras to provide a real-time video feed to law enforcement and other public safety officials. The company would additionally provide virtual reality response training that would allow officers to engage in “highly immersive and engaging” practice scenarios, the company said.
As part of its efforts, Axon will begin manufacturing smaller, lighter Tasers that can be placed on a small drone or robot to incapacitate active shooters.
But the company’s ethics board raised concerns, claiming executives made the announcement prematurely without considering all the consequences.
“Axon’s decision to announce publicly that is it processing with developing TASER-equipped drones and robots to be embedded in schools, and operated by someone other than police, gives us considerable pause,” the board said. “Axon’s announcement came before the company even began to find workable solutions to address many of the Board’s already-stated concerns about the far more limited pilot we considered, and before any opportunity to consider the impact this technology will have on communities.”
Axon has not yet considered concerns about the possible misuse of Tasers or if the drones would “increase the rate at which force is used” by police, the board added. The company also announced it would make the Taser-equipped drones available to agencies outside law enforcement, according to the board, which was not included in initial discussions of the product.
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The board chastised the company for its public announcement before answering these key questions about how the project would realistically affect law enforcement agencies. However, Smith responded that he went public before having the answers in order to “broaden the discussion with many stakeholders.”
“I understand and agree with the board’s concerns that there are many questions we will need to answer to ensure these systems are designed for maximum safety and with equity in mind,” Smith said in a statement obtained by the Washington Examiner. “This topic is too important to stay locked away in internal debates. … Yes, there will be concerns. That’s why I went public now, while the technology is under development. I want to hear from legislators, public safety leaders, school administrators, and parents and members of the concerned public.”
