Theorizing Drones and Droning Theory

Abstract

This chapter uses the figure of the drone to explore the logic of emerging forms of surveillance facilitated by distributed, interactive sensors. It argues that drone “logic” can be abstracted away from the device itself. This logic combines automated data collection with automated sensemaking and, eventually, automated response. The chapter considers examples of “droning” in a wide range of spheres of social practice from security to education. It argues that the forms of knowledge and decision-making associated with drone logic displace comprehension with correlation and anticipate the subtraction of both subjectivity and desire from interactions ranging from warfare to consumption. The chapter explores theoretical alternative to the path of “drone decision-making,” arguing for the ongoing significance of the relationship between desire, language, and subjectivity.