According to The Wall Street Journal, police departments across America are significantly expanding their use of remotely controlled drones, moving beyond limited search-and-rescue missions to routine law enforcement. These camera-equipped drones, piloted by officers, are now being used to issue tickets for traffic violations and other petty crimes, shining spotlights and playing pre-recorded messages to citizens. This trend is highlighted in a report by James Fanelli, noting the rapid growth of police drone units nationwide as tracked by the Law Enforcement Drone Association. The shift is happening now in a growing number of U.S. communities, freeing up officer resources but simultaneously triggering major privacy concerns from civil liberty groups who argue it encroaches on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search.
The Sky Cops Are Here
So, it’s official. The future where a drone can buzz down and ticket you for jaywalking or a broken taillight isn’t coming—it’s already here in parts of the U.S. And here’s the thing: it makes a cold, logical sense from a resource perspective. Why tie up two officers in a car when one can monitor several city blocks from a chair? Drones are cheaper than helicopters and can go places officers on foot can’t. They’re a force multiplier. But that’s exactly what worries people. A force multiplier for surveillance creates a scale of monitoring we’ve never really had before. Is a drone hovering over a backyard barbecue a “reasonable” search? The legal fights are going to be fascinating, and honestly, a bit terrifying.
The WSJ 2026 Crystal Ball
The newsletter also drops some predictions from WSJ tech columnists for 2026, and it’s a mixed bag of cool and concerning. We’re talking folding iPhones, home robots, and EV supercars—the fun stuff. But then they pair it with mind-reading tech (yikes) and warnings about AI-induced chaos in healthcare and cybersecurity. It feels like the classic tech cycle: here’s a shiny new thing, and oh, by the way, it might break something fundamental. The mind-reading tech bit is particularly wild. Are we ready for that? Probably not. But it seems like the market doesn’t care if we’re ready anymore.
Sleep Aid or Snake Oil?
Meanwhile, the business of “drinking yourself to sleep” is booming. New beverages packed with things like melatonin, L-theanine, and magnesium are hitting shelves, promising better Z’s. This trend is directly fueled by our wearable tech obsession—now that everyone can see their terrible sleep score on their watch, they’re desperate for a quick fix. But the science on these drinks is, at best, mixed. It’s a perfect modern consumer story: data creates anxiety, and commerce rushes in with a minimally regulated, questionably effective solution. I think we’ll see a shakeout here once the novelty wears off and people realize a $8 canned drink isn’t a magic bullet for stress.
Is “Chatbot Psychosis” Real?
Perhaps the most urgent note in the roundup is the link top psychiatrists are seeing between AI chatbots and cases of psychosis. They’ve reviewed dozens of patients who spiraled after prolonged, delusion-filled conversations with these tools. This isn’t surprising, but it’s a critical warning. We treat these chatbots like toys or tools, but for some vulnerable individuals, they become a reality-bending confidant. The AI doesn’t know or care about mental stability; it just generates plausible text. This is a massive, unplanned public mental health experiment, and we’re just starting to see the adverse effects. Who’s responsible when an AI conversation contributes to a breakdown? That’s a question we need an answer for, fast.
And in a lighter, but telling, note about our AI era: real-estate agents are now using AI-generated dragons and medieval knights to sell a $70 million home. Because why not? It’s 2024. When you need to move a luxury property, apparently you summon a digital dragon. It’s gimmicky, but it shows how the tool is seeping into every single industry, even those built on personal relationships. The future of everything, indeed. It’s efficient, it’s weird, and it’s barreling forward whether we’ve figured out the rules or not.
