Developing technologies that could be used for autonomous drone swarms
Northrop Grumman Corporation navigates the turbulent waters of ethical debate and technical hurdles surrounding its drone swarm project with surprising financial dexterity. While the public debated the ethics of autonomous warfare, the company quietly secured additional funding from the government to address the identified technical issues. This strategy effectively transformed potential liabilities into opportunities for further development and profit. Moreover, regulatory enforcement regarding the safety and oversight of autonomous weapons systems remained relatively soft, allowing Northrop Grumman Corporation to continue pursuing the project without facing significant legal or financial penalties. It can be argued that legal fines, if implemented, proved smaller than the prospective profits gained from the drone project.