The Dangers of Technology Within the past two years computers have become a new way of doing business, enjoying various forms of entertainment, and interacting with others for the majority of our nation. Almost every aspect of technical work in industry today involves the computer in some way. It is hard to find something in the world at this present time that wasn’t either made by a computer program, or houses a computer of its own. Keeping this in mind while reading Ray Kurzweil’s article “The Virtual Thomas Edison” makes one realize just how much humans depend on computers, and Kurzweil’s hypothesizes that “Within three decades machines will be as intelligent as human beings”(Kurzweil, pars 16). Kurweil continues, by stating, “Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, has written about a wide range of dangers that could arise when we no longer have our metaphorical hands “on the plug”(Kurzweil, pars 2). It’s an unsettling thought, assuming Kurzweil’s prediction is correct, that computers may surpass man’s intelligence in 30 years and progress beyond our control. Kurweil’s quoting Bill Joy sums up the feeling of uneasiness towards the quick progress of computer technologies very well. It produces a slight tinge of fright as it is read because it could indeed be true. Kurzweil offsets his feelings of apprehension by going into great detail about how these advanced computers will help us in the future. He goes as far to state that computers will be able to create ‘nanobots’ to help rid of humans of several diseases and possibly prolong man’s collective life span. “By 2030 there will be ubiquitous use of surgery-free neural implants introduced into our brains by billions of “nanobots” (i.e., microscopic yet intelligent rob... ... middle of paper ... ... be able to keep a firm grip on the reigns of this technology. “I am optimistic that we will ameliorate these dangers while we overcome age-old problems of human distress”(Kurzweil. Pars 15). Kurzweil’s optimistic view of the humans prospering greatly from the machines is a happy ending, but it is not a completely reassuring one based on some of his conjectures. If the computers are smart enough to assimilate all of human knowledge, then how is man to predict the capability of holding them on leashes as they grow to gain artificial intelligence and awareness. “Technology has always been a double-edged sword, and we don’t have to look further than today to see both profound promise and peril.”(Kurzweil, pars 15). If Kurzweil had used this statement for his conclusion instead of his optimistic final view, his article would have produced a more convincing argument.
Have you ever had the thought that technology is becoming so advanced that someday we might not be able to think for ourselves? There is no questioning the fact that we live in a society that is raging for the newest technology trends. We live in a society that craves technology so much that whenever a new piece of technology comes out, people go crazy to get their hands on it. The stories that will be analyzed are The Time Machine by H.G Wells and The Veldt by Ray Bradbury. These stories offer great insight into technologies’ advancements over time that will ultimately lead to the downfall of human beings. These two stories use a different interpretation of what will happen when technology advances, but when summed up a common theme appears. In the story, The Time
Humans are becoming more technologically-efficient every day. New inventions and innovations are constantly being made. The Internet is becoming more “reliable” every day. However, how much do we really get from the constant advancement of Internet use and smarter technology? Should we look at their contributions to the world as a benefactor or a curse? The common effect of “artificial intelligence” in the technology we use every day is examined by two brilliant authors, Nicholas Carr and Jamias Cascio. In Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, he explains the effects of the Internet and technology in our society and claims that the overuse of technology is dangerous and can affect how our mind operates. Jamias Cascio, on the other hand, uses his article “Get Smarter” to show the positive effects of technology in our constantly adaptive society claims that technology may just be making our society smarter and more efficient. While Carr and Cascio both use the claim of cause in their articles to provide valid points on how technology affects our society, Carr’s article proves to be more effective because it focuses on skeptical-based evidence and uses a variety of appeals and proofs.
At first glance it appears that one should take heart from Nicolas Carr’s sentence, “Computers can be programmed to perform complex activities in which a succession of tightly coordinated tasks is carried out through an evaluation of many variables”; it speaks of human ingenuity and technological progress that should open new frontiers. However, a closer read reveals that Carr is actually warning us about the dangers of increasing automation and how an over reliance on computers is reducing us to “high-tech clerks” in his ominously entitled essay, All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines. He argues how at first automation reduced our work load, allowing us to follow more intellectual pursuits, but now the
Even though, the arguments put forth by the author are relevant to the central theme, they lack clarity. He tends to go off on tangents and loses the flow of the article. It seems that the author has a slight bias against our generation’s obsession with technology, but that can be attributed to him being a quinquagenarian. I feel that the author has not covered the topic thoroughly enough. He has not quite explained the topic in depth or covered it from various perspectives.
The evolutionary prize in our world, most aren’t sensually aware of its presence, but it’s the power of our human brain that lets us connect in many spiritual ways to our surroundings. The mere intelligence that the human species is available to is nothing like any other being on this planet. Humans have achieved the power to change our behavior, society, ways of life, and aspects of our physical form to break the connection with natural selection and actually control destiny. Ray Kurzweil, a well-known futurist and author of “How to Create a Mind” and “The Singularity Is Near”, explains the significance of technological advancements and what their relationship with us will be in the future. The singularity that Ray Kurzweil speaks of is when
When thinking of killing, drugs and nudity, I’m pretty sure not many people think of positive ideas. Electronics, such as television and computers, show these kinds of things regularly. Despite this explicit material, some people see the constantly improving technology as a wonderful addition to our lives. Yet as time passes, more and more people start to have doubts about what these developments in technology are leading to. Kids and teens should be playing and using their imaginations; instead they devote countless hours on various electronics ranging from tablets and computers to phones and TV’s. These inventions often show explicit and inappropriate material which corrupts children, and are slowly ruining society’s social skills.
In The Matrix, technology dominates society. The push to automate and link the world is a perpetual theme of modern society. As technology rapidly advances, implementation of computer-driven robotic devices and software programming has inundated the world and changed human perspective. There is a cost to pay when redefining the population with AI technology. This cost is identified in Barlett and Byer’s, “Back To The Future: The Humanistic Matrix” “The Matrix metaphorizes our willingness to fantasize that the ‘freedom’ rhetoric of e-capitalism accurately reflects our
“The day may come soon when we are forced to share this status with a new kind of being, one whose intelligence is of our own design (alumni.berkeley.edu).” Robots are coming, in fact, they are already in our lives today. There are, currently many self-cleaners in households around the world. Before we know it, robots will be driving cars, taking care of old folks, and in use in many more ways. What’s after that? Something too intelligent for their and our own good, a robot that is either as smart or smarter than the human race. One of the most important points in these creations is, the robots knowing right from wrong. At what point does the robot become too smart and how can we stop this from happening? “Right now all modern technology is designed to bring the world to you; phone, radio, television, internet, but if trends continue, robots will soon bring you to the world, everywhere, and at the speed of thought. (theguardian.com).” This statement by Mark Tilden, robot physicist, is interesting as it states the robots will bring us everything, but these are all things humans are able to do themselves. If the robots become smarter than everyone, how will the world
...ecome alarming as these machines could become very complex. With new forms of computers on the horizon, the exposure and availability is greatly increasing. It is true that computers bring a lot of benefits however they also enhance the potential for unimaginable chaos. The day will come, sooner than we expect, when humans will no longer be needed to maintain the earth. Computers will for instance, be able to control vehicles and other devices. Providing all the computers are programmed correctly then nothing can go wrong however if one small program fails this could result in disaster. As humans we must take heed of the power of computers and try to maintain our role in the world as the ruling beings and ensure that we are still in a position where we are able to control technology as it will be all too easy to suddenly discover that technology is controlling us.
Bar-Cohen, Y. (2009). The coming robot revolution expectations and fears about emerging intelligent, humanlike machines. Springer.
Technology has more negative effects on today’s society than positive. Due to technology in the past few decades Canine Shock Collars have been increasingly popular. Students in school pay more attention to texting than they do their classes. Violent addictive video games have made their way into American homes. Parents encourage their children to not text as much, but them to face the problem of constant communication. The Internet gives the students easier ways to cheat in school, and reinforces laziness. Internet Porn gives every bored male a chance to look at the seediest film in the comfort of his own home. Technology has taken the innocence and mystery away from the American family.
Over the years, man has come up with countless inventions, each more resourceful than the last. However, as the computer age continues, mankind is threatened. Ridiculous, some may say, but I say look around! The computer has already begun to control so many of the vital functions that man has prided himself upon before. Our lives are now dependent on a computer and what it tells you. Even now, I type this essay on a computer, trusting that it will produce a result far superior to what I can do with my own to hands.
...rise of Artificial Intelligence brings with it new technological advancements and will change the lives of people forever. The introduction of AI to different technologies such as industrial production robotics replacing workers, virtual assistants creating a centralised device for all your information and autonomous vehicles that will see humans driving alongside AI, these are all set to make a large dent in the workforce as factory jobs and autonomous jobs begin being taken over by autonomous robots and artificial intelligence which can replicate the work of a human becomes commonplace .(Gartner Research, Fenn , 2013) The impact in the future as artificial intelligence gains an ever larger grasp on the world is hard to predict yet the fact remains that artificial intelligence is technology of the future and it will become a major dominant technology in the future.
Technology is one of life’s most impressive and incredible phenomena’s. The main reason being the shockingly high degree to which our society uses technology in our everyday lives. It occupies every single realm, affecting people both positively and negatively. There are so many different forms of technology but the two most often used are cell phones, and the internet/computers in general. Today’s younger generation was raised alongside technological development. Kids now a days learn how to operate computers and cell phones at a very early age, whether it be through their own technological possessions, a friend’s, or their parents. They grow up knowing how easily accessible technology is, and the endless amount of ways in which it can be used. This paper will be largely focused on the effects of technology on the younger generation because your childhood is when these effects have the largest impact. I am very aware of the subject because I am the younger generation. Aside from major effects on study and communication skills, there also exist the media’s effects on teen’s self-esteem and mental health. Maybe more importantly, there is our world’s growing problem of over priced and unnecessary consumerism. Over time, our society has created a very unhealthy form of reliance and dependency on technology as a whole. People essentially live through their devices. Cell phones are always with people making it nearly impossible to not be able to reach someone at anytime, day or night. In 2011, there were 2.4 trillion text messages sent, and 28,641 cell phone towers were added across the US. 1 We use our phones and Internet for directions, communication, information, self-diagnosis, games, movies, music, schoolwork, work, photos, shoppi...
In the 21st century, we live in the era of technology-driven world. Humans never stopped the development of technology, because we always have a natural tendency to pursue a higher level of human being. Technology is the best evidence of human intelligence, which has shown that we are different from other animals. We have lived with technology since we were born. Although it has intervened heavily in our daily lives that we can’t no longer live without, nobody can deny the achievements it has brought to us.