Debate TIA: Where will our technology take us – to Skynet or to Star Trek?

©NASA

One of the most widely discussed debates – whether technology will be the saviour or destructor of the world – has been gaining a lot of traction recently. It’s a theory that has been frequently used in popular, thrilling Hollywood films, such as the Terminator and the Matrix, but will life reflect art?

Recently, there have been some concerns, warnings, and frightening prospects around the development of certain types of technology. From Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking calling for a ban on AI weaponry to the stand-off between North and South Korea, it seems that fears about destruction through advanced weaponry are not without justification.

A recent poll of I.T./Tech professionals found ‘Military and Warfare’ to be the second most likely scenario for annihilation of the planet, with ‘Artificial Intelligence taking over’ coming up third. Interestingly, according to those polled, the number one threat isn’t perceived to be that of weaponry at all, but rather the ‘Prevention of Evolution’. It seems the biggest fear is that technology will replace our need to think, remember, and even move to such an extent that we’ll become useless and unable to survive or function without technological assistance… in which case, what happens if the power goes out?!

But it’s not all doom and gloom! The sceptics were in the minority of those polled… with a higher number believing that technology will help rather than hinder the future. ‘Health and Medical Advancements’ are listed as the most likely cause for optimism, ‘Aiding the Environment’ came second, ‘Artificial Intelligence helping humans’ came third (in contradiction of the fears around it), and ‘Space exploration and expansion’ followed closely – assumedly the belief that moving planets one day could be our saving grace.

To be fair to the optimists, the world is seeing some good evidence of the more positive side of the discussion. Fittingly, actor Robert Downey Jr. presented a disabled boy with a bionic arm. There’s the rise of electric Tuk Tuks in Thailand, and electric car vending machines in China which are seen as early steps in the long fight against pollution and climate change. Robot nurses are being tested in Japan, to assist its ageing population (think Baymax from Big Hero 6), and then there are plans for ‘Space Elevators’ coming to fruition, 20 km high in Canada expected to be operation in the next few years, followed by a potential, staggering 96,000 km from Japan in 2050… it’s fair to say that these are bringing space exploration a few steps closer. And this is all just the tip of the iceberg, without even going into some of the other technology around rocket ships, satellites, medical science and more.

It’s rare that these themes are used in Hollywood films without the negative aspects to create drama and tension such as in Moon or Blade Runner. But in reality a lot of tech is being developed for the greater good and the majority belief seems to be that this trend will continue… let’s hope they’re right!

What’s your opinion on the matter? Will the future of tech be for the better or worse for humanity and Planet Earth?