this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2026
109 points (80.4% liked)

Technology

83406 readers
3014 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
109
Russia Launches First Brain-Chipped Bird Drones for Surveillance Over Cities (united24media.com)
submitted 1 month ago by sqgl@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@lemmy.world
65 comments fedilink hide all child comments
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] worhui@lemmy.world 115 points 1 month ago (6 children)

This an an absolutely exceptional claim that would put the company decades beyond any tech I have seen. They are claiming remote control of a complicated animal in flight. They also claim it is without training and over distances impossible for a bird as small as a pigeon to carry radio gear.

This is not believable without any evidence.

[–] in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 39 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Propaganda mills run 24hrs in time of war. All sectors of industry are often involved.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Propaganda_Works

I absolutely do not believe these claims until they're independently verified

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m not sure propaganda has ever been more intense and widespread than it is now with ubiquitous tech addiction

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 month ago

Pretty sure I saw this one before… something something, wunderwaffen technology.

[–] worhui@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

That is what I was getting out without trying to use the loaded words.

[–] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

according to Forbes Russia and a company statement

duh

edit: as for radio, if it's not required to be realtime it would make a lot of sense to carry sd cards instead, provides lower energy consumption too

[–] OptimusPrimeDownfall@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

You are putting a lot of faith in a people that can't even build a competent tank.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 month ago (4 children)

You do, of course, understand that this has nothing in common with building a tank?

You do also understand that (just guessing) if you're from a German instance, then probably everyone of consequence involved in designing military hardware in Russia has better knowledge of their domain area than people analogous to them from German MIC and military? Simply due to experience gained. That does apply to tanks.

Anyway. I don't know if it's real, but you just go and read whose company it is. It might be.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

I know I'm just theorizing

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] moonshadow@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 month ago

If it's like the bug experiments, they aren't controlling its muscles granularly but guiding the whole critter through pain/aversion. Going left hurts, bird goes right type deal

[–] sqgl@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Indeed "thousands of km" is far fetched:

some of which are expected to be sent thousands of kilometers away while others remain in Moscow for further trials.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Well... The electronics are solar powered, so it's not like batteries would run out. I'm not sure there are really limits on the flight range of a pigeon. I have to assume they'd be allowed to eat.

I don't think they could cross an ocean.

[–] sqgl@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How would they be controlled though?

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I have no idea, controlling an animal's brain is obviously the hard part too believe. But I don't see how that affects their range. It's a bird, birds naturally migrate thousands of miles.

[–] Yggnar@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (9 children)

It would effect their range because they would either need heavy equipment, like a fuckin star link dish strapped to their backs, or heavy radio equipment of some kind or something. Even if the "brain chip" is microscopic, you still need it to be able to send and receive a signal I would think, unless they intend to just operate it when it happens to be near a WiFi signal or something I guess?

[–] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

Or just preprogram the commands before installing and let it run autonomously.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 month ago

I've heard of the particular people behind that particular company achieving similar things 12 years ago with, eh, humans. That's of the "bloody regime horror stories" genre. There will be no proof.

Also honestly

would put the company decades beyond any tech I have seen

why not? They have plenty of money and expertise. Something you don't want to believe? Too bad, neither do I.

[–] Soulphite@reddthat.com 54 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Those guys at Birds Aren't Real are having a "told you so!" moment right now.

[–] IratePirate@feddit.org 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Came for this, left satisfied.

[–] 6stringringer@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Feeling like I drove up, didn’t even need to roll down the window and ask, I got myself a glimpse of the details & circled on out.

[–] XLE@piefed.social 1 points 1 month ago

Birds Aren't Real Guy is probably getting a second pump-and-dump scam going right this very moment...

[–] ToTheGraveMyLove@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The company plans to use the biodrones for extended monitoring of power transmission lines, gas distribution nodes and other infrastructure, as well as for environmental surveys, industrial inspections, search-and-rescue missions and additional security monitoring

Sure thing buddy. We all know what these are actually for you colossal piece of shit.

[–] OptimusPrimeDownfall@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 month ago

If it's actually true and not the usual Russian bullshit they can only back up with bots.

[–] voidsignal@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

Then tomorrow they'll invent teleportation during lunch break. Russia is such an advanced state, and defintely not shithole running out a cash propaganda machine governed by a stupid afraid-of-death human stain

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I can't wait until news comes out about cats or hawks killing and eating them.

[–] shyguyblue@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Dudes' been playing Fallout show...

[–] Ninjascubarex@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Same company that did the Pythia rat experiment https://neiry.ru/analytica/tpost/p1o2t7kbt1-predstavlyaem-krisu-kotoraya-umnee-bolsh

[–] in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

From the article

The rat has already correctly answered hundreds of scientific questions - about quasars, myelin shells, Python and Albert Einstein's birthday. The experiment continues every day, the number of rats with a neural interface is also growing.

Pile it High and Deep PHD work.

[–] MrFappy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This will lead to unintended consequences of Russian citizens killing any bird they see, which will mirror the Chinese famine from years ago where they did the same, but that led to an increase of crop killing insects which led to widespread famine.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] yesman@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

"first", LOL...wake up sheeple, birds aren't real.

[–] bleistift2@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 month ago

I would like to go back to the times when I could easily tell a joke from reality. To go, please.

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Stop these bots. Show me something concrete. No actual showcases or even knowledge behind this means its just words.

[–] rizzothesmall@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

Bull - and what's more - shit

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

No.

[–] Bazell@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah, yeah. Most likely just a wireless camera glued to a bird.

load more comments
view more: next ›