Humans love developing technology. Many of our greatest technological break throughs come from fighting with each other. Unlike most technologies, when it comes to conflict, technologies that keep some people safe are designed to control or harm others.
Military and police technology for surveillance and conflict is on the verge of a major breakthrough. Autonomous robot dogs, humanoids, killer drones, sonic weapons, bio hacking, gene editing are all potential game changers for these industries.
These new technologies will keep more soldiers and police safe which is good. They could also usher in a new age of mass surveillance and dystopian robotic dominance. It seems difficult to imagine empathising with a artificial humanoid and the thought of being processed by robots at security checkins at airports reminds of too many terminator movies.
What would leaders decide if they could send a robot army to war instead of risking human lives? The balance of power changes when one side has nothing to lose…
The thought of my children growing up in a world with robotic security machines roaming the streets and drone cameras in the sky concerns me. It’s a fine line between being looked after and being locked up.
At the end of the day, if we all play by the rules we have nothing to fear right? As long as we have a say and the rules are fair and just, we have nothing to fear except fear itself. A dystopian society is scary and dehumanising, and so is technology without morality. Let’s make good decisions about the kind of world we want our children to grow up in.
