GENEVA — Call it a self-flying camera. Call it a flying car. Just don’t call it a drone. Executives from three Chinese companies that make autonomous aviation tech told Semafor they don’t want to be associated with the term “drone,” which has become more linked to death and security risks than innovation, leisure, and transportation. US drone industry lobbyists have long tried to avoid the term, but the marketing materials on display at the UN’s AI for Good summit underscored how sensitive Chinese companies in particular have become to negative perceptions of their tech amid a global expansion push.
Now, MQ Wang’s self-flying camera company HOVERAir has an office swear jar for anyone who says “drone.” Wang said the weaponized image of the tech has been “almost like a living nightmare for me.” The firm, which markets itself as a recreational tool for athletes and content creators, is currently blocked from selling its latest offering in the US under a new federal rule.
Courtesy HOVERAirEHang, which makes passenger drones, doesn’t “like the concept of ‘drone’ for our aircraft,” regional Vice President Ricardo Ortega said. “We are strictly focused on civil aviation.”
Xpeng, the Chinese EV-maker that’s branching into robotics and aviation, prefers “flying car.” Drones are “now your little nephew’s annoying hobby at the party,” Europe marketing and brand chief Sven De Smet said.