In a long row from californication, gentrification, desertification and electrification, not to mention quantification, juridification or enshittification, we have arrived at “dronification” in the 2020s. Spurred by the extremely successful use of drones by the Ukrainian army to o bring to a halt the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Putin’s Russia, conventional weapons like tanks and artillery lost out to the widespread use of drones. Few military observers, even experts of military equipment, thought prior to 2020 this would be possible. The lower costs involved, precision targeting and different skill sets needed for the orchestration of a drone based defense and attack, have made a strong case for the dronification of warfare.
As with many innovations, there are dual-use potentials. In this case the civilian use of drones received a considerable push in technology and acceptance. Rescue robots or delivery of provisions to frontline positions are part of the “everything-drone-thinking” during war. The surveillance of frontiers and territory is applicable to agriculture, properties and urban planning. Droughts and other environmental impacts on a large scale can be monitored in a timely fashion as well. 4D imaging becomes more feasible as well in many domains. The potential in architecture is vast as well. Public infrastructure and distribution of frequency ranges is a crucial precondition to ensure an orderly coexistence of military, security and civilian use cases.
(Image: Exhibition: atelier le balto, Die Kunst des Gartens VI: FREI(B)AUM at Kulturforum Berlin 2026-1)
