AMW UAV Forum: drones and the social dimension of the unmanned revolution

Will drones become for society what smartphones were for the previous decade? Participants of the fourth panel at AMW UAV Forum had little doubt: unmanned systems are increasingly shaping security, business, rescue operations, and transport. The discussion titled “The Scale and Significance of the Drone Revolution in the Social Dimension” highlighted that technology is advancing faster than legal regulations, while humans remain the key element of the entire system.

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30 april 2026 | 17:07 | Source: Gazeta Morska | Prepared by: Kamil Kusier | Print

fot. Krzysztof Miłosz / Akademia Marynarki Wojennej

Drones are leaving the military sphere. The revolution is becoming everyday reality

The fourth panel of AMW UAV Forum, organized by Gazeta Morska in cooperation with the Polish Naval Academy, shifted the discussion on unmanned systems beyond the traditional military context. The debate, titled "The scale and significance of the drone revolution in the social dimension", focused on a question becoming increasingly relevant for both the technology sector and public administration: how are drones changing society, the economy, security, and the human psyche?

The panel was moderated by Dr. Paweł Kusiak and Dr. Łukasz Wyszyński, with contributions from Dr. Mateusz Piątkowski (University of Łódź), Andrzej Jaworski (President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Maciej Dziubich (Maritime Search and Rescue Service SAR), Dr. Karolina Zwolak (Polish Naval Academy, K2sea), and Dr. Wojciech Błażek (Polish Naval Academy).

The discussion covered three key areas: dual-use technologies, the operational use of drones by public services, and the role of humans within unmanned systems.

Law and autonomy: can legislation keep pace with technology?

The debate opened with Dr. Mateusz Piątkowski, who presented the perspective of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts. He noted that the development of unmanned and autonomous systems is raising increasingly fundamental legal questions.

- Since 2013, Geneva has hosted an extensive discussion on whether drones and autonomous systems should be used in armed conflicts, and under what limitations, he reminded the audience.

The expert identified three main positions in the international debate. The first advocates restricting or banning lethal AI-based systems without "meaningful human control." The second, represented among others by Poland, supports political recommendations while maintaining existing humanitarian law norms. The third, promoted mainly by countries from the Global South, calls for a treaty-based ban on autonomous lethal systems.

Mateusz Piątkowski emphasized the practical dimension of the issue.

- A soldier in uniform carrying weapons is generally a lawful military target, but a wounded, surrendering, or hors de combat soldier is not. The question is whether an autonomous system can recognize that distinction.

In his view, humanitarian law remains essential despite enforcement challenges.

- Not everything that is technologically possible is simultaneously an action that should be taken, he concluded.

Business is no longer asking "if" but "how fast"

A much more pragmatic perspective was offered by Andrzej Jaworski, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representing more than 150 companies using drone technologies.

- We have progressed further with drones than with mobile phones, although many people do not yet realize it, he observed.

According to Jaworski, drones have already become a standard business tool, used for property inspections, roof monitoring, logistics, security, precision agriculture, and infrastructure surveillance.

- There is probably no company with real estate assets today that does not check roof conditions in winter using drones, he said.

Jaworski also highlighted the growing automation of processes.

- Soon it will no longer be a human deciding whether to send a drone with medicine or groceries. A computer will independently decide when the drone should take off, which route it should follow, and how to avoid collisions.

In his assessment, businesses currently focus less on regulation than the public sector.

- Companies primarily think about operating within the law - or where the law has not yet caught up with reality, he stated.

Drones in rescue operations: no longer a trend, but an operational tool

One of the most practical perspectives came from Maciej Dziubich of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service SAR. He stressed that in rescue operations, technology must meet one simple requirement: improve effectiveness.

- Any technology will be implemented if it makes the process faster, more effective, safer, and ideally cheaper, he emphasized.

Dziubich pointed out that drones are already an established part of rescue systems, both in water and mountain environments.

- Five or six years ago, drones were a trend. Today, 90 percent of water rescue bases have drones as standard equipment.

He listed practical applications including:

searching for missing persons over water,
monitoring maritime and coastal areas,
delivering rescue equipment,
supporting mountain rescue missions.

- A rescuer can now go into action without carrying 30 kilograms of gear. A drone can deliver stretchers, radios, thermal packs, or medical supplies, he explained.

At the same time, he underlined that drones will not replace rescuers.

- New tasks are simply emerging for rescuers. Drones are staying with us, but they do not eliminate the human factor.

Revolution or only the beginning? The maritime perspective

A different view was presented by Dr. Karolina Zwolak, specializing in unmanned surface vessels and hydrography.

- In my sector, I do not yet see a revolution. I see rather a gradual emergence, she assessed.

She noted that in the maritime domain, the main limitation remains the lack of regulations.

- In Polish waters, we still have a complete lack of regulations concerning unmanned surface vessels. We do not know what qualifications operators should have, who is responsible for accidents, or how to insure such systems.

At the same time, she pointed to positive developments.

- For a year now, Poland has had a government plenipotentiary for unmanned vessel regulations. We are already seeing tangible effects and real interest from public administration.

In her opinion, Poland has the opportunity to play an important role in unmanned technology development.

- We should think not only about using drones, but also about ensuring that as many of these systems as possible are created in Poland, based on Polish engineering and innovation.

The psychology of drone operators: a new dimension of burden

The social and psychological dimension of the drone revolution was explored by Dr. Wojciech Błażek, a clinical psychologist from the Polish Naval Academy.

He highlighted the new psychological burdens placed on operators of unmanned systems.

- Today, participating in conflict can mean entering a container, carrying out an operation, and returning to family life just a few hours later. These two worlds mix in an unprecedented way.

In his view, the challenge is not only PTSD, but also what is known as moral injury.

- Generations raised on video games often do not fully understand the finality of certain decisions. Yet here we are talking about real-life decisions involving death.

Wojciech Błażek stressed that psychology and support systems must keep pace with technological development.

- We cannot reverse technology. The key is teaching society and operators how to use it responsibly.

Drones as new social infrastructure

In the final part of the debate, panelists agreed on one conclusion: drones are no longer technological novelties, but are becoming part of everyday infrastructure. Maciej Dziubich summarized it simply:

- I would like drones to stop being associated exclusively with war and threats. A flying drone should signal useful technology, not a reason to run away.

Andrzej Jaworski added:

- A drone is becoming the same kind of tool as a mobile phone.

Dr. Karolina Zwolak pointed to the strategic direction:

- The more competencies Poland develops in building and operating drones, the safer we will be as both a state and society.

AMW UAV Forum: society must keep pace with technology

The fourth panel of the Gazeta Morska Drone Forum clearly demonstrated that the drone revolution is no longer solely a military issue. It is a process affecting business, administration, rescue services, legislation, psychology, and everyday life.

Today, drones already:

support rescue services,
monitor infrastructure,
improve logistics,
drive dual-use technologies,
reshape human responsibility models.

The greatest challenge no longer appears to be the technology itself, but rather the speed at which society, law, and institutions can adapt.

As was repeatedly emphasized during the panel, the drone revolution is already underway. The real question is no longer "if," but "how wisely we choose to use it."