The board is advisory, and Axon management isn't required to follow its guidance. Its members include privacy advocates, former police chiefs, civil rights advocates and computer scientists.

"Now is the time to make this technology a reality — and to begin a robust public discussion around how to ethically introduce non-lethal drones into schools," he said in his statement.

To uphold a high level of security on our Air Force bases, every Defender must be properly skilled and equipped to handle any situation they may come across. Combat Arms Instructors ensure every Defender is proficient and skilled in their ability to use weapons when an emergency arises. These instructors operate firing ranges, conduct marksmanship training for all Air Force personnel and perform maintenance on a wide array of weapons at their assigned bases. To learn more, visit the Security Forces career page.

"Do not consider attaching any items such as these to a drone because operating a drone with such an item may result in significant harm to a person and to your bank account."

Investors reacted positively. Axon's share price rose 5.8 percent Thursday, compared to a 1.8 percent rise in the S&P 500.

"There's a lot of disappointment, but a lot of us don't want to be hasty and lose the chance to have an influence," she said. "If we all resign, then who's there?"

Citron said that Smith has otherwise been attentive to the ethics board, attending its meetings personally and often accepting its advice. She said she believes Smith is moving ahead with the drone idea out of a genuine desire to eliminate firearms deaths.

Three years ago, in response to a report from the ethics advisory board, Axon said it would not add a facial recognition feature to its cameras.

Axon CEO Rick Smith said that he has been exploring such a system for years and even published a graphic novel about it, and that he had now run out patience with the "fruitless" national gun debate.

But an ethics advisory board that Axon set up in 2018 to guide the company's work on artificial intelligence warned that Axon was rushing the adoption.

A Military Working Dog (MWD) handler is responsible for protecting and defending a base with their loyal canine partner by their side. With a strong passion and respect for dogs, a MWD handler personally trains their assigned dog in law enforcement, including how to detect drugs and explosives. Together, they are a highly trained team ready for anything. To learn more, visit the Security Forces career page.

"There are over 10 million fire hydrants pre-emplaced in the United States, and every modern building has fire suppression systems to contain fires until fire-fighters can arrive," he said.

The idea of armed, remote-controlled, flying robots appeared long ago in science fiction, and U.S. authorities have long sought to prevent their use among civilians. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a reminder in 2019 that operating a drone with a dangerous weapon attached was illegal without FAA authorization.

The ethics board said that the idea of a Taser-equipped drone was brought to the board more than a year ago, and that after lengthy deliberations, a majority of the board last month voted against Axon moving forward even with a limited pilot project.

Axon, formerly known as Taser, is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and has long been at the center of public debates around police and security equipment. Hundreds of people have died after police used Tasers on them, according to news media tallies, and Axon's police body cameras have raised privacy concerns.

Danielle Citron, a member of the ethics board and a University of Virginia law professor, said it was possible that some or all board members would resign because of Smith's decision.

A Security Forces Officer is a leader equipped with the physical and mental capabilities to manage the security on a base. And to do that, they need a breadth of knowledge in weapon systems, antiterrorism, law enforcement, Air Base Ground Defense and Combat Arms. There is nothing ordinary about this job or those who go out and do it every day. To learn more, visit the Security Forces Officer career page.

Axon plans to develop "a remotely operated, non-lethal drone system that we believe will be a more effective, immediate, humane, and ethical option to protect innocent people," Smith said in a statement.

The board said Axon was pursuing a "notable expansion" of what was previously under consideration, potentially making the technology available to more clients than just policing agencies and placing surveillance cameras in schools to stream real-time to police.

Protecting the people, property and resources on Air Force bases around the world means having the proper equipment. Because of the extensive training they must undergo, Defenders are the only Airmen certified to carry weapons on base and are experts in operating them in order to respond to a wide variety of scenarios.

"I believe we can create systems that can detect, deter, and ultimately stop a shooter within a building for a comparable cost as, or less than, fire suppression systems."

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"Perhaps you've seen online photos and videos of drones with attached guns, bombs, fireworks, flamethrowers, and other dangerous items," the agency said then.

The company behind the Taser brand of stun guns said Thursday that it plans to put its weapons on drones and sell the devices as a way to stop shootings in American schools, an idea that drew an immediate public rebuke from the company's ethics board.

As the largest career field in the Air Force, it’s the job of Security Forces to protect, defend and fight. They are responsible for missile security, defending air bases around the globe, law enforcement on those bases, combat arms and handling military working dogs. It takes a combination of mental and physical toughness because it’s up to you to protect your fellow Airmen.

Smith planned to answer questions about the idea Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern on the Reddit forum "Ask Me Anything," Axon said.

Axon said it would use virtual reality headsets for training, and that all decisions on whether to use a Taser would be made by an "authenticated and authorized human operator who has agreed to take legal and moral responsibility for any force actions initiated."

"Reasonable minds can differ on the merits of police-controlled Taser-equipped drones — our own Board disagreed internally — but we unanimously are concerned with the process Axon has employed regarding this idea of drones in school classrooms," the ethics board said.