"Drones Will Change Society", Researcher Says
Astrid Gynnild was recently interviewed by the University of Bergen (UiB). In the article that followed, she urges more debate about challenges and opportunities around drones.
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"In time, drones have the possibility to alter structures in society to the same degree as the car have done," Gynnild believes.
Difficult to regulate
More and more people own drones. Just in Norway, research shows that 800.000 people are interested in buying drones, and the government recently issued its first drone strategy.
Gynnild points to issues concerning privacy and social security. But the development may have moved on more quickly than most people are aware of.
"Urban warfare using advanced micro drones the size of insects are no longer simply science fiction", Gynnild says to UiB.
She adds:
"I think the greatest future challenges lies in the unregulated part of drone aviation and the activities of many thousands of hobby pilots that we know nothing about", Gynnild says.
Published two drone books this spring
Gynnild has conducted research on drones since 2011, and edited the book "Droner i Sivilsamfunnet" (Drones in Civil Society) earlier this spring. UiB professors and ViSmedia researchers Frode Guribye and Øyvind Vågnes also contributed, as well as several other drone experts, who shed light on drones from different perspectives.
Gynnild has also contributed to the book "Responsible Drone Journalism", alongside ViSmedia researchers Turo Uskali and Deborah G. Johnson, Lars Nyre and Frode Guribye.