Following the fallout from the drone event over the Christmas period, Gatwick and Heathrow airports have invested millions to tackle the problem of potential future drone attacks. With around 1,000 flights grounded at Gatwick airport over 36 hours and about 140,000 passengers affected by the disruption, the owners of both airports have brought in their own military-grade anti-drone apparatus. If you frequently fly drones, either as a hobby or professionally, we'd like to hear from you. How long have you been flying and what has your experience been like? What concerns do you have about the technology and the issues raised by potential drone attacks?

In the U.S., according to industry officials, the Federal Communications Commission's reluctance to authorize sales of hardware able to disrupt radio links has hobbled growth of the nascent counterdrone industry. Only a handful of U.S. airports have advanced drone-detection programs under way, according to industry officials, and nearly all are in the testing phase. Congress, however, has instructed the Federal Aviation Administration to develop a strategy to permit wide use of counterdrone technologies across airports. Sponsors of major sports events, some concerts and large open-air gatherings, including the New Year's Eve celebration in New York's Times Square, have called on counterdrone techniques to ensure safety. But like most airports, such entities generally refrain from publicly spelling out their plans.

BANGALORE, INDIA - London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports have ordered military-grade anti-drone defenses worth "several million pounds" after drones caused three days of disruption at Gatwick last month, the airports confirmed late on Thursday. "While I can't go into detail about exactly what we have, I can confirm this was an investment of several million pounds to ensure we are at an equivalent level to that provided by the Armed Forces," a Gatwick spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. Gatwick said the new equipment had been in place for over a week. The statement did not give further details. Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, also said it had ordered the equipment. It said it was working closely with authorities including the police and looking at relevant technology to combat the threat of drones.

Gatwick and Heathrow are to spend millions of pounds on anti-drone technology following the disruption at the Sussex airport before Christmas. The equipment, which can detect and jam communications between a drone and its operator, was deployed by the RAF on a roof at Gatwick last month. About 1,000 flights were cancelled over three days due to drone sightings. Gatwick said it had spent £5m to prevent future attacks, and Heathrow confirmed it would be buying systems. More than 140,000 passengers at Gatwick were affected during 36 hours of chaos between 19 and 21 December.

Segway is branching out from its eponymous'personal transporters' with a lineup of delivery robots. Ninebot, the parent of Segway, is debuting its first-ever autonomous delivery robot, called Loomo Delivery, alongside a new scooter. Loomo is designed to make deliveries in buildings and malls, using artificial intelligence to make sure they're dropped off at the right location. Segway is branching out from its'personal transporters' with a lineup of delivery robots. The company envisions Loomo being used for last-mile delivery with food, packages and other items.

As for much of the tech industry, 2018 has been a year of reckoning for artificial intelligence. As AI systems have been integrated into more products and services, the technology's shortcomings have become clearer. Researchers, companies, and the general public have all begun to grapple more with the limitations of AI and its adverse effects, asking important questions like: how is this technology being used, and for whose benefit? This reckoning has been most visible as a parade of negative headlines about algorithmic systems. This year saw the first deaths caused by self-driving cars; the Cambridge Analytica scandal; accusations that Facebook facilitated genocide in Myanmar; the revelation that Google helped the Pentagon train drone surveillance tools; and ethical questions over the tech giant's human-sounding AI assistant. The research group AI Now described 2018 as a year of "cascading scandals" for the field, and it's an accurate, if disheartening, summary.

The Defense Ministry will crank into high gear its research to develop a high-output military laser that can intercept mortar rounds and enemy drones flying at low altitudes. The ministry included development outlays of ¥8.7 billion for such research in the fiscal 2018 budget. It plans to open bidding soon for the building of a prototype land-based laser weapons system for research use and hopes to complete a technical evaluation by fiscal 2023, sources said. Many countries, including the United States and China, have begun to develop laser weapons. The U.S. military has already started operating such weapons installed on landing ships.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's military says it has shot down a second Indian spy drone in two days flying in Pakistani airspace over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Gen. Asif Ghafoor says Pakistani troops downed the drone Wednesday along the Line of Control that divides the Pakistani- and Indian-controlled portions of Kashmir. Authorities say Pakistani troops retrieved the wreckage of the Indian drone. Pakistan's military also reported shooting down a drone from India on Tuesday. There has been no comment from India.

"Military capability" deployed to counter illegal drone flights at Gatwick Airport has been withdrawn, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The Army was deployed as hundreds of flights were cancelled on 20 December following repeated drone sightings. Gatwick said it had spent £5m to prevent future attacks, but would not comment on the nature of the system. Sussex Police said no arrests have been made since a couple were released without charge on 23 December. More than 140,000 passengers were affected by cancellations and delays during the 36 hours of chaos.