Taser-maker Axon halts controversial project to equip drones with stun guns
- The proposal, meant to combat mass shootings in wake of the Texas school massacre in Uvalde, prompted an exodus from the firm’s ethics board
- Concerns included privacy, racial injustice and fears that the system could be used in other circumstances and become more lethal if other weapons were added
Taser-maker Axon Enterprise Inc said it was halting work on a project to equip drones with stun guns to combat mass shootings, a prospect that a member of its AI ethics board said was prompting an exodus from the panel.
The May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 children and two teachers, prompted an announcement by Axon last week that it was working on a drone that could be operated remotely by first-responders to fire a taser at a target about 12 metres (40 feet) away.
“In light of feedback, we are pausing work on this project and refocusing to further engage with key constituencies to fully explore the best path forward,” Chief Executive Rick Smith said in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier, ethics board member Wael Abd-Almageed said he and eight colleagues were resigning from the 12-member panel, in a rare public rebuke by one of the watchdog groups that some companies have set up in recent years.
The aim behind such groups is to gather feedback on emerging technologies, such as drones and artificial intelligence (AI) software.