When Technology and Humanity Cross

WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS
Technological optimism is the view that technological improvements will

sustain life as human populations continues to increase. Holding this view obviously
has its limits for it discredits the unstable aspect of technology. While it is not wrong to
be hopeful in terms of technological advancements, it is important to be aware of the
negative effects that some innovations come with. It is expected that through new
technological breakthroughs, pressing social issues would be addressed, thus
improving th future conditions of society.
In the book, the Year 2000, published in 1967, Herman Khan and Anthony
Weiner listed 100 technological innovations that are likely to occur in the last quarter of
the 20th century. Examples of the listed innovations include new medical technologies
that may detect hereditary and congenital diseases, the use of cyber techniques that
may substitute human organs or limbs, new biological or chemical methods to improve
memory and learning, and more.
A number of predicted innovations such as multimedia systems, advanced

military and commercial airborne vehicles, and the internet are now existent. Other
predictions such as genetic testing to efficiently detect hereditary and congenital
diseases are already being developed.
The study of genetics poses a threat to ethics. The scientists who launched the
Human Genome Project believed in the power of genetic information to transform health
care- to allow early detection of fatal diseases and create powerful medicines based on
the genetic “constitution” of an individual (pharmacogenetics). Pharmacogenetics,
however has also become controversial in terms of its ethical use. It raises several
questions regarding its necessity, methodologies, and accessibility. In the future,
doctors will be capable of providing patients with genetic report cards that will spell out
each patient’s risks of developing a variety of diseases. As such, the social and ethical
implications come into question, including how will it affect lives, families, and the entire
society. Advanced DNA testing also poses both advantages and disadvantages, as
the practice may be misused or abused by authorities. A recent technology that is used
in police investigations surfaced, which potentially quickens the acquisition of results of
evidence for the efficient conviction of criminals. However, some police personnel may
misuse the technology and use it without the knowledge of the suspect, or even
manipulate data to incriminate someone else. Presently, the public is concerned about
whether the technology available is ready to be handled by authorities or not. Since the
technology is highly advanced, great responsibility lies within those who maneuver it.
The growth of science and technology challenges society’s ability to understand

and control its effects on everyday life. Its implementation is carried out so rapidly that
adverse effects are unavoidable. People continue to use diesel-powered automobiles
and coal-powered energy plants that release toxic fumes and greenhouse gases that
are detrimental to human and environmental health. Dams are constructed for
irrigation, flood control, and power production; however, they also disrupt the natural
ecosystem and displace local communities. Take the case of the Chico River Dam
Project in Cordillera as an example, which was first drawn up in 1965 and was deemed
achievable to construct in 1973 only to be suspended in the 1980s. the local tribes
opposed the construction of the dam because it would displace local communities. At
the forefront of the opposition against the dam was tribal leader Macli-ing Dulag who
was murdered by unidentified assailants to silence him, which caused a large public
outcry on both national and international scales that terminated the project. Similarly,
and more recently, the Kaliwa Low Dam project in Rizal proposed in 2012 not only
threatened the displacement of local tribes and the grabbing of ancestral lands, it also
posed severe environmental destruction. Initially approved under the administration of
former President Benigno S. Aquino lll, the project was cancelled only to be revamped
by a bigger Chinese-funded project under the current administration of President
Rodrigo R. Duterte. The ancestral lands of the Dumagats and Remontados are
currently under threat due to the continuance of this project, which would inevitably
displace 10,000 members of the Dumagat tribe. Various wildlife habitats situated in the
Sierra Madre Mountain range are also threatened to be destroyed. The project was
formulated in response to the alleviation of sourcing demands from Angat Dam, which
would greatly help nearby communities with water supply. Ironically, these projects also
threaten the lives of minorities and wildlife habitats, exhibiting the conflict between
progress and ethical and environmental consequences.
Agent Orange is an invention that illustrates how technology can be purposively
used to inflict damage on others. It is herbicide and defoliant chemical-a mixture of
2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxcyacetic acid. It was used
during the Vietnam War by the US military in order to destroy plant-based ecosystems
in Vietnam’s territory, disrupting their agricultural food production. Laboratory tests had
shown that Agent Orange also damaged the genes of humans exposed to it, resulting in
genetic deformities developed by offspring of the exposed victims. The chemical also
made the regeneration of forests difficult and almost impossible.
Computer and electronic surveillance systems provide personal, institutional, and

homeland security but can also pose threats to human privacy. Personal
correspondence that allows the exchange of sensitive information can be put under
surveillance by high-tech systems. As businesses and organizations around the world
depend on computers and the internet to exchange data, they become more vulnerable
to cyberattacks. The infamous ILOVEYOU virus infected millions of computers
worldwide-including systems of Pentagon and the British Parliament. This computer
virus, reportedly created by Filipino IT students, destroyed files, stole user passwords
and comprised confidential data from government agencies and private companies. In
another instance, hackers illegally accessed the network portal of the Central Bank of
Bangladesh in February 2016. Eighty-million dollars ($81M) was stolen, sent to the
Philippines, and funneled into a leading commercial bank’s foreign currency accounts
and three major casinos.
While science and technology provide society higher standards of living, these
are accompanied by adverse effects such as the depletion of resources and biological
and environmental hazards. Humanity’s ability to survive as a species will be
determined by how rapidly they can adapt to these technological innovations will affect
the future generations and their outlook towards the fast-paced development if
machines.
WHY DOES THE FUTURE NOT NEED US
In the novel Brave New World (1931), the author Aldous Huxley created a
dystopian world 600 years into the future in which humans are engineered through
artificial womb and indoctrinated into predetermined classes that dictate how they
should act and be perceived in society. Huxley re examined the narrative he crafted in
the 1946 edition of the novel in light of scientific and technological advancements during
that era. He stated that his envisioned reality is coming faster than he had originally
foreseen and that “the horror might be upon us within a single century.”
In 2000, Bill Joy, chief scientist for Sun Microsystems, wrote an article for Sun
Microsystems, wrote an article for Wired Magazine entitled Why The Future Doesn’t
Need Us. Joy stated that “our most powerful 21 st-century technologies -robotics,
genetic engineering, and nanotechnology- are threatening to make humans endangered
species.” He voiced his concern about the increasing development of technological
capabilities such as continuous innovations in artificial intelligence (AI). It is expected
that in the near future, computers will have the capacity to lead so-called robot rebellion.
Genetic engineering is capable of creating new crops and potentially new species.
Nanotechnology may be used in developing more efficient medicine and water
treatment; however, they may also be hazardous to one’s health.
Bill Joy’s fears with regard to new technology seem to be justified. Government
militaries are developing autonomous weapons possibly capable of making military
decisions. Computers are practically driving society from stock trading to personal
entertainment. The term robot is becoming a household name in factories, refineries,
and warehouses, which displaces millions of skilled workers. Many technologies are
continually produced without any consideration of their potential negative side effect.
As history bears all the narratives that surround the ever-evolving technological
development, society should pay attention to the old adage: “History repeats itself.”
Many have suffered from the ill effects of excessive and abusive technology and
scientific manipulation as more and more innovations are being made today. Those
who control high-technology devices and essential top-secret information hold the future
of humanity. As technology is nothing but a mere tool for human intention and political
agenda, society should always be informed of the capabilities of machines and reason
for their invention. As history keeps repeating itself, many good-intentioned discoveries
turn sour when left unchecked by the public. The big question remains: should
technology be allowed to do all the work and make decision for the society or should
humans maintain control over these new technologies? The latter choice still open
poses the question of how technology can be effectively controlled and directed. The
challenges of addressing these issues are not only reserved for scientists. Everyone
has a stake in making sure humanity will benefit from these new technologies while
keeping everyone safe.

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WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS

Technological optimism is the view that technological improvements will

A number of predicted innovations such as multimedia systems, advanced

The growth of science and technology challenges society’s ability to understand

Computer and electronic surveillance systems provide personal, institutional, and

WHY DOES THE FUTURE NOT NEED US

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