Why Does The Future Not Need Us.

WHY DOES THE FUTURE NOT NEED US?

BILL JOY ✘ ✘

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An American computer scientist Co-founder of sun microsystem in 1982 and serve as a chief scientist until 2003 The author of the famous Wired magazine essay “Why the future doesn’t need us” (2000)-------- which sets forth his concerns over the development of modern technologies 2

In his well-known piece, “Why the future doesn’t need us,” Bill Joy argues that 21st century technologies—genetic engineering, robotics, and nanotechnology (GNR)—will extinguish human beings as we now know them, a prospect he finds deeply disturbing.

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Genetic Engineering

Nanotechnology

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Robotics

The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence • •

A book written by Ray Kurzweil Which outlined a utopia he foresaw—one in which humans gained near immortality by becoming one with robotic technology.

THE NEW LUDDITE CHALLENGE ✘ a

passage written by Theodore Kaczynski -------the Unabomber ✘ In this book a dystopian scenario was mentioned

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Kaczynski once said “if machines do all of society’s work, as they inevitably will, then we can” Then: a) let the machines make all the decisions b) maintain human control over the machines 7

While If we choose… A. Then we are at the mercy of our machines

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B. Then control would be in the hands of an elite, and the masses would be unnecessary

In that case, the tiny elite: 1) would exterminate the masses; 2) reduce their birthrate so they slowly became extinct; or 3) become benevolent shepherds to the masses.

Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind

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A book written by Hans Moravec---- one of the leaders in robotics research, and was a founder of the world's largest robotics research program, at Carnegie Mellon University In this book Moravec’s claim that technological superiors always defeat technological inferiors, as well as his claim that humans will become extinct as they merge with the robots.

Professor Stephen Hawking warns that…

PROF. STEPHEN HAWKING

 AI could 'replace humans altogether‘  He said that 'someone will design AI that improves and replicates itself‘  He added that 'this will be a new form of life that outperforms humans‘  If people design computer viruses, someone will design AI that improves and replicates itself. 'This will be a new form of life that outperforms humans.' 10

BEFORE

AFTER

SERVER / WAITERS

SOPHIA

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ARMY ROBOT

KITCHEN ROBOT

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The White Plague,by Frank Herbert ✘ A novel read by Joy 20 years ago ✘ In which a molecular biologist is driven insane by the senseless murder of his family. To seek revenge he constructs and disseminates a new and highly contagious plague that kills widely but selectively.

 Joy’s worries focus on the transforming technologies of the 21st century—genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR).  By contrast, 21st-century technologies allow for small groups or individuals to bring about massive destruction.  Joy accepts that we will soon achieve the computing power necessary to implement some of the scenarios envisioned by Kurzweil and Moravec, but worries that we overestimate our design abilities. Such hubris may lead to disaster.

For example… ✘ Robotics is primarily motivated by the desire to be

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immortal—by downloading ourselves into them. But Joy doesn’t believe that we will be human after the download or that the robots would be our children. As for genetic engineering, it will create new crops, plants, and eventually new species including many variations of human species, but Joy fears that we do not know enough to conduct such experiments. And nanotechnology confronts the so-called “gray goo” problem—self-replicating nanobots out of control. In short, we may be on the verge of killing ourselves!

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✘ Joy concludes that we ought to relinquish these technologies before it’s too late. Yes, GNR may bring happiness and immortality, but should we risk the survival or the species for such goals? Joy thinks not. ✘ Genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics are too dangerous to pursue; we should abandoned them. 16

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References: o https://reasonandmeaning.com/2016/02/15/s ummary-of-bill-joys-why-the-future-doesntneed-us/ o https://www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/ o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo o https://www.cc.gatech.edu/computing/nano/d ocuments/Joy%20%20Why%20the%20Future%20Doesn't%20 Need%20Us.pdf o https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2jv0rf 18

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