We must act with respect, not cruelty.
Drone
is a short animation by Sean Buckelew released on February 2023.
To address accountability for its usual precision drone strikes, the CIA decided to test out an AI assistant called Newton installed on an Attack Drone. They then hold a press conference demonstrating Newton’s capabilities, only for it to go awry and wander all over the country.
What follows is not a typical Skynet-esque escapade of doom, but rather a thought-provoking journey of one’s existential purpose in life and a critical look at humanity’s use of technology for granted.
Drone contains examples of:
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: To the CIA, but otherwise averted. The closest thing Newton does is destroy some of the newly produced drones at its base, but after that it’s out of ammunition and battery life to be of much threat anyway.
- Grew Beyond Their Programming: After malfunctioning during the livestream demonstration, Newton flies all over the country, growing remorseful of seemingly killing a civilian (not really, see Logic Bomb) and its general purpose before slowly telling to the livestream audience about living life with empathy.
- Is This Thing Still On?: Played for Drama, as the livestream is still running as Newton does its wandering for much of the short.
- Let No Crisis Go to Waste: After Newton crashes into the desert, the new CIA director uses its cultural influence as PR for producing more drones like him, ignoring its pleas for a meaningful life and purpose beyond killing and cruelty.
- Logic Bomb: What kicks off the plot. During the demonstration livestream, some building debris forms a face that Newton mistakes as a civilian casualty, failing to identify it on a database and short circuits it, leading it to fly off.
- Rogue Drone: Newton, naturally.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the fiasco of the demonstration that leads to scrutiny and Newton’s newfound popularity, the first CIA director promptly resigns from his post and is replaced.
