WHY DOES THE FUTURE NOT NEED US?

In April 2000, Bill Joy (co-founder of Sun Microsystems) published an article in Wired
magazine entitled “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us.” He argues that
“Our most powerful 21st century technologies- robotics, genetic engineering,
nanotech- are threatening to make humans an endangered species.”

Messages of Bill Joy in his article, Why Does the Future Not Need Us?
The rate and direction of technological innovation over time will lead to a world
where humans are unnecessary and machines will be able to do without us.
Instead of interacting with them in the way we historically have- programming
them to execute the tasks we instruct them to perform… They will do our thinking
for us.

Can We Prevent a Future with Machines as Masters?

The overthrow of the human species by machines is by no means inevitable.

The need to take other factors into account when selecting where to focus our
innovative capacities is increasingly urgent.
Some of the most critical dimensions include;
Societal benefit
Potential job displacement and commensurate strategies for buoyancy
Degree of collaboration among humans being fostered
Global climate impact

ROBOTICS

Robotics is a branch of engineering that involves the conception, design,

manufacture, and operation of robots.
The objective of the robotics field is to create intelligent machines that can assist
humans in a variety of ways.
Science fiction author Isaac Asimov who Abeen is given credit for being the first
person to use the term in the 1940s by Oxford English Dictionary.

Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics have survived to the present:

Robots must never harm human beings.
Robots must follow instructions from human without violating rule 1.
Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.

GENE THERAPY VS GENETIC ENGINEERING

Gene therapy seeks to alter genes to correct genetic defects and thus prevent or
cure genetic diseases. Genetic engineering aims to modify the genes to enhance the
capabilities of the organism beyond what is normal.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST GENE THERAPY
The vectors may deliver the DNA to cells other than the target cells, with
unforeseen results
Viruses as vectors may not be innocuous as assumed and may cause disease
Adding new genes to a nucleus does not guarantee they will go where desired
If the changes are not integrated with other DNA already in the nucleus, the
changes may not carry over to new cells and the person may have to undergo
more therapy later
Changing reproductive cells may cause events not seen until years later, and
undesirable effects may have been passed on to the patient’s children

ARGUMENTS AGAINST GENETIC ENGINEERING

Genetic engineering is against the natural or supernatural order, it is against what
God or nature intended to tinker with this genetic code, not to bring it up to
normal (as in gene therapy), but to create new kinds of beings.
Genetic engineering is dehumanizing because it will create nonhuman, alienated
creatures.
Genetic engineered creatures will suffer from obsolescence.
Genetic engineering is a version of eugenics and evokes memories of the
historical eugenics movement of the earlier part of the twentieth century in
America and Nazi Germany.

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce

new structures, materials and devices. The technology promises scientific
advancement in many sectors such as medicine, consumer products, energy,
materials and manufacturing.

PROS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology will also open up new methods of generating and storing

energy. Quantum dots, for example, are tiny light-producing cells that could be
used for illumination or for purposes such as display screens.
Nanotechnology has the potential to bring major advances in medicine. Nanobots
could be sent into a patient's arteries to clear away blockages. Surgeries could
become much faster and more accurate. Injuries could be repaired cell-by-cell. It
may even become possible to heal genetic conditions by fixing the damaged
genes.

CONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

The so-called “gray goo” scenario, where self-replicating nanobots consume

everything around them to make copies of themselves. Negative effects on the
environment as potential new toxins and pollutants may be created by
nanotechnology.
Changes in manufacturing processes brought about by nanotechnology may
result in job losses.

Nanotechnology raises the possibility of microscopic recording devices, which

would be virtually undetectable. Atomic weapons would be easier to create. One
possibility of the so-called “smart bullet,” a computerized bullet that could be
controlled and aimed very accurately.

Prepared by:
MA. BIANCA NICOLE DELA CRUZ
KATE ANNE MITRA

EDEN RIVERA
GE 07 Instructor