The future of the world is often thought of as both dystopic and utopic. Technology can be amazing in its scope. It could revolutionize education and create a global playing field where we are all forced to compete on merits rather than national nepotism. It could also be terrifying in its scope. We could awake in a Matrix-like world where all privacy and life are wiped away.
The great thing about both videos I linked too is that they are both possible. We have a choice of whether we pick the red pill or the blue pill. Technology does not dictate our future we dictate our future. So here are some the questions, some difficult, that we have to asking. What will the government’s role be in technology and what. if any, constraints will be placed on the governmental usage of it. Think about this question. Let’s say we do have the ability to link our brains up to a network, should the government have access to our everyday thoughts? If they do, crime rate will go down but will we be asking Big Brother into our lives? Could that information be sold to third party vendors to create the ultimate customizable ads? If we realize the desire for power is too tempting as humans does this mean we give up the benefits the technology brings? There are so many thoughts.
What if technology can open up education to every single person in the world and offer the same quality of education to every single person? The benefits would be incredible if every individual could receive the same education; however, at what level then do we compete? Not everyone can be doctor’s and astronauts. Will anyone want to be our department store clerks, or secretaries, or garbage collectors, or fast-food cooks? If no one wants those jobs how do we fill these positions? If millions of people find an increase in the quality of their lifestyles, will millions find a decrease in quality and there become more candidates for the same job and they struggle to find more elaborate ways to compete and land jobs? They are interesting thoughts.
Again, the best part of the future is that it isn’t decided. It is up to us to write it and we have the ability to make the decisions and that also means we have great responsibility. The future is truly ours to make and technology is complicated and that is ok. We just have to be aware of our decisions and the implications. Any amazing future wins will be our wins and any future catastrophes will fall on our shoulders. No one else is responsible so let’s take this as a moment to educate ourselves. What technology is new, how can it be used, what other illicit or uncomfortable implications could it have, what are the benefits, do the benefits outweigh the consequences; who is monitoring the usage of the technology; what sort of oversight exists, and the lessons go on and on.
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“Technology does not dictate our future we dictate our future.” Instinctively I want to agree with you there, but I am afraid that like it or not technological advances do dictate our future. Not necessarily the way to choose to live in that future but they certainly have a profound impact on the future. Take transport for instance, how many people choose to use a bicycle for their primary means of transport since cars were invented? The bicycle has been sidelined as is now a transport of leisure rather than business. Pens have been superceded first by typewriters and now by computers, there are fewer people now who choose to write with a pen. And then there are all the utility houshold objects – given a choice I would go for my washing machine rather than washing the family clothes by hand!
Valid point but I still think that we invented those technologies, it was still our choice. That is what I am afraid of being taken away, I think we still have a choice and I believe it could be disastrous to give up that choice to “fate” or “destiny.”