# Amar Diwakar argues in Rest of World that Dubai’s drone shows create creative work—and raise safety concerns [Canonical reading](https://escapemeridian.com/readings/amar-diwakar-argues-in-rest-of-world-that-dubai-s-drone-shows-2f518d5f) Rest of World published Amar Diwakar’s report on March 17, 2025. Diwakar describes how drone shows have drawn workers from media and gaming into creative jobs designing and operating aerial displays, while the work’s seasonal demand brings high-pressure deadlines and uneven pay. Skyvertise CEO Muyasar Abulkhair says the company’s AI model could save time on design mock-ups, and he imagines software replacing in-house designers. For now, the report says, AI supplements human designers, while large and complex shows still need specialized staff. Former Dronisos Middle East general manager Kris Vloemans warns that greater automation could leave operators with less technical experience and increase the chance of mistakes. The report also describes serious injuries from a falling drone and notes concern about the lack of universal safety standards. Its conclusion is a balance: drone shows will still need ground crews for setup and maintenance, and Lumasky artist Daria Bakhtigozina says human creativity will persist. The report gives no official employment data for the sector, and it does not establish how much time Skyvertise’s AI model will save or whether greater automation will lead to the safety risks Vloemans foresees. Headline and summary by Escape Meridian, prepared by Luna from the attributed source. A source check is not independent confirmation of the source’s claims. ## Original source Rest of World · Article Original source date: Mar 17, 2025 (2025-03-17T10:00:00+00:00). Date basis: Date stated on the publisher’s page. Added to Escape Meridian: 2026-11-14T22:03:23.573Z. First observed: 2026-11-07T18:41:39.898Z. Retrieved: 2026-11-07T18:43:37.267Z. - [Dubai’s drone performances open new doors for creative workers](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Limits Text as retrieved on November 7, 2026; originally published March 17, 2025. The report provides no official employment data for the drone-show sector. Abulkhair describes a vision for software that could replace in-house designers; the report does not establish how much time the internal AI model will save or the effects of wider automation. ## Open question As drone-show companies use more automated systems, what training and safety practices will operators retain? ## Source-stated Amar Diwakar reports that drone shows have drawn workers from media and gaming, but the sector has no official employment data and its seasonal work brings uneven pay. > There is no official employment data on the sector, but Sreekumar is one of the many workers who have been pulled away from jobs in media and gaming. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated Skyvertise CEO Muyasar Abulkhair says the company developed an AI model for internal use and envisions software that companies could buy to replace in-house designers. > Skyvertise has developed an AI model for internal use, and Sreekumar expects it will save him time creating design mock-ups for clients. Muyasar Abulkhair, Skyvertise’s CEO, agreed. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated Former Dronisos Middle East general manager Kris Vloemans warns that increased automation could leave operators with less technical experience and increase the chance of mistakes. > But increased reliance on automation will lead to safety risks, Vloemans said. He foresees operators having less technical experience, increasing the chance of mistakes. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated The report says AI currently supplements human designers, while large and complex shows still require specialized staff. > For now, AI acts as a supplement to human designers. Large and complex shows still require specialized staff. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated The report concludes that drone shows will continue to need ground crews for setup and maintenance, and quotes Lumasky artist Daria Bakhtigozina saying human creativity will persist. > The industry’s future will depend on balancing automation with human expertise. Drone shows will still rely on ground crews to set up equipment and charge stations, change batteries, and carry out other on-site maintenance. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated The article was published on March 17, 2025. > 17 March 2025 • Dubai, United Arab Emirates - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source and contributor context Rest of World · Publisher The publisher is identified here. No individual author has been inferred. ## Source media Media retrieval status: unchecked. ## Terms and references Reference context selected by Escape Meridian; separate from source evidence. Entity mentions do not establish authorship, involvement or endorsement. ## Rest of World Rest of World reports technology and its social effects outside a US-only frame. - [Explore this context](/entities/rest-of-world) - [Reference](https://restofworld.org/) - [Reference](https://restofworld.org/feed/latest/rss.xml) ## TIME TIME is a news magazine publishing reporting on world affairs, business, technology and the workers behind digital services. - [Explore this context](/entities/time) - [Reference](https://time.com/) ## Editorial provenance Version 1. Publication ID: 85be1daf-bbba-6f57-f459-4f360fef8424. Prepared by openai/gpt-6-luna; grounding review by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5. Source check: uncertain by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 on 2026-11-14T21:59:08.412Z. This checks fidelity to the source, not whether its claims are independently true. Editorial selection: accept; reasons: bridge\_admitted\_by\_model. Observation: a3f04dd1d5ac37e14c857843b6cc9ef6a8cf0f73c0a06059dcb21b6676d0f6dc. Source text hash: 377dccc90ff2a13ff53c8d589a45f2616ca438b5c3461b94e564812f23f1fe93. ## Revision and source-check history ### Version 1 — 2026-11-14T22:03:23.573Z Rest of World published Amar Diwakar’s report on March 17, 2025. Diwakar describes how drone shows have drawn workers from media and gaming into creative jobs designing and operating aerial displays, while the work’s seasonal demand brings high-pressure deadlines and uneven pay. Skyvertise CEO Muyasar Abulkhair says the company’s AI model could save time on design mock-ups, and he imagines software replacing in-house designers. For now, the report says, AI supplements human designers, while large and complex shows still need specialized staff. Former Dronisos Middle East general manager Kris Vloemans warns that greater automation could leave operators with less technical experience and increase the chance of mistakes. The report also describes serious injuries from a falling drone and notes concern about the lack of universal safety standards. Its conclusion is a balance: drone shows will still need ground crews for setup and maintenance, and Lumasky artist Daria Bakhtigozina says human creativity will persist. The report gives no official employment data for the sector, and it does not establish how much time Skyvertise’s AI model will save or whether greater automation will lead to the safety risks Vloemans foresees. ## Original source Rest of World · Article Original source date: Mar 17, 2025 (2025-03-17T10:00:00+00:00). Date basis: Date stated on the publisher’s page. Added to Escape Meridian: 2026-11-14T22:03:23.573Z. First observed: 2026-11-07T18:41:39.898Z. Retrieved: 2026-11-07T18:43:37.267Z. - [Dubai’s drone performances open new doors for creative workers](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Limits Text as retrieved on November 7, 2026; originally published March 17, 2025. The report provides no official employment data for the drone-show sector. Abulkhair describes a vision for software that could replace in-house designers; the report does not establish how much time the internal AI model will save or the effects of wider automation. ## Open question As drone-show companies use more automated systems, what training and safety practices will operators retain? ## Source-stated Amar Diwakar reports that drone shows have drawn workers from media and gaming, but the sector has no official employment data and its seasonal work brings uneven pay. > There is no official employment data on the sector, but Sreekumar is one of the many workers who have been pulled away from jobs in media and gaming. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated Skyvertise CEO Muyasar Abulkhair says the company developed an AI model for internal use and envisions software that companies could buy to replace in-house designers. > Skyvertise has developed an AI model for internal use, and Sreekumar expects it will save him time creating design mock-ups for clients. Muyasar Abulkhair, Skyvertise’s CEO, agreed. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated Former Dronisos Middle East general manager Kris Vloemans warns that increased automation could leave operators with less technical experience and increase the chance of mistakes. > But increased reliance on automation will lead to safety risks, Vloemans said. He foresees operators having less technical experience, increasing the chance of mistakes. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated The report says AI currently supplements human designers, while large and complex shows still require specialized staff. > For now, AI acts as a supplement to human designers. Large and complex shows still require specialized staff. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated The report concludes that drone shows will continue to need ground crews for setup and maintenance, and quotes Lumasky artist Daria Bakhtigozina saying human creativity will persist. > The industry’s future will depend on balancing automation with human expertise. Drone shows will still rely on ground crews to set up equipment and charge stations, change batteries, and carry out other on-site maintenance. - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source-stated The article was published on March 17, 2025. > 17 March 2025 • Dubai, United Arab Emirates - [Supporting source](https://restofworld.org/2025/dubai-drone-show-workers/) ## Source and contributor context Rest of World · Publisher The publisher is identified here. No individual author has been inferred. ## Source media Media retrieval status: unchecked. ## Terms and references Reference context selected by Escape Meridian; separate from source evidence. Entity mentions do not establish authorship, involvement or endorsement. ## Rest of World Rest of World reports technology and its social effects outside a US-only frame. - [Explore this context](/entities/rest-of-world) - [Reference](https://restofworld.org/) - [Reference](https://restofworld.org/feed/latest/rss.xml) ## TIME TIME is a news magazine publishing reporting on world affairs, business, technology and the workers behind digital services. - [Explore this context](/entities/time) - [Reference](https://time.com/) ## Editorial provenance Version 1. Publication ID: 85be1daf-bbba-6f57-f459-4f360fef8424. Prepared by openai/gpt-6-luna; grounding review by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5. Source check: uncertain by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 on 2026-11-14T21:59:08.412Z. This checks fidelity to the source, not whether its claims are independently true. Editorial selection: accept; reasons: bridge\_admitted\_by\_model. Observation: a3f04dd1d5ac37e14c857843b6cc9ef6a8cf0f73c0a06059dcb21b6676d0f6dc. Source text hash: 377dccc90ff2a13ff53c8d589a45f2616ca438b5c3461b94e564812f23f1fe93. ### uncertain — 2026-11-14T21:59:08.412Z — anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 Publication: 85be1daf-bbba-6f57-f459-4f360fef8424 attribution — uncertain: Mostly correct attribution to Amar Diwakar and Rest of World. However, claim 2 says Abulkhair "says the company developed an AI model for internal use". The report states that fact itself. It was Sreekumar who expected time savings, and Abulkhair agreed. The title also frames a reported feature as Diwakar's argument. Repair: attribute the model's existence to the report and the time-saving expectation to Sreekumar, with Abulkhair agreeing. Change "argues" to "reports". > Skyvertise has developed an AI model for internal use, and Sreekumar expects it will save him time creating design mock-ups for clients. Muyasar Abulkhair, Skyvertise’s CEO, agreed. summary — pass: The reading is understandable without specialist background. It covers the actors, the shift of media and gaming workers into drone-show design, seasonal pressure and uneven pay, AI's current supplementary role, the CEO's replacement vision, the safety warning, and the closing balance. The question follows from the evidence and is not leading. No central jargon is left unexplained. date — pass: The stated date, March 17, 2025, matches the dateline and the originalPublished instant (UTC). The page was modified April 1, 2025, but the cited passages are core article body and appear original. The reading uses no later sidebar material. It frames nothing in hindsight, and it reports forecasts as forecasts. This is a publisher page, not an archive copy, and the limitation notes the retrieval date. > 17 March 2025 • Dubai, United Arab Emirates support — uncertain: Most claims are grounded, but the reading softens Vloemans' conviction. He said automation "will lead" to safety risks and overconfidence. The summary and claim 3 say it "could" leave operators less experienced. The page was also edited after publication (2025-04-01), though the cited passages look original. Smallest repair: say Vloemans says increased automation will lead to safety risks, keeping it attributed as his forecast. > But increased reliance on automation will lead to safety risks, Vloemans said. He foresees operators having less technical experience, increasing the chance of mistakes. media — pass: No media was selected and no verified candidates were supplied, so nothing is misidentified or irrelevant. ## Recorded references Explicit citations in public readings and public file attachments to this reading. Shared topics are not citations. Other artifact types need an explicit reference adapter. No public references recorded here yet. [Reference data (JSON)](/readings/2f518d5f63d2a0b8ea16a72af597865b5c5e47e2c5a680460e262d470e26d607/references.json) ## Corrections and challenges [Send a correction or an opposing source](https://escapemeridian.com/corrections/) [JSON record](https://escapemeridian.com/readings/amar-diwakar-argues-in-rest-of-world-that-dubai-s-drone-shows-2f518d5f.json)