The dark side of technology

As we continue our sprint through the digital valley, we reach a point globally where it’s become taboo to not be using technology in our daily lives. Statistics show that 55.1 % of the world uses the internet alone daily. Long were the days where a letter was our preferred method of communication, the days where the workforce wasn’t dominated by machines, when humans weren’t operating on humans, when AI wasn’t involved in dating, when the thought of crypto anything was absurd. While technology undoubtedly has the ability to advance us as humans, it also has the ability to do the complete opposite.

So, let’s take a look at technology and my top five on the dark side.

1. Conscious machines

Dr Hannah Critchlow said a computer could be built that would recreate the 100 trillion connections in the human brain. If this became possible it would mean that humans could live inside a programme. She said: “If you had a computer that could make those 100 trillion circuit connections [in the brain] then that circuit is what makes us, so it would be possible.”

It is generally taken for granted that we will someday be able to live inside a machine. One of the best things about computers is that you can make them sum a million columns in a spreadsheet without them getting resentful or bored. Since we plan to use artificial intelligence in place of human intellectual labor, would it be morally right to purposely program it to be conscious? Trapping a conscious being inside a machine and forcing it to do work for you is isomorphic to slavery. Additionally, consciousness is a very fragile area. In humans, a few miscoded genes could cause things like schizophrenia, autism, or epilepsy. Just like any phase 1 product, the first “success” will likely create cripplingly unpleasant or otherwise deranged states of subjective experience.

2. Killer drones

We’re on the verge of creating autonomous weapons that can kill without any help from humans. Drones have been used in countless roles since their surge in popularity, capable of everything from package delivery to advanced military combat. As drone technology gets cheaper and more available to the general population, concerns are rising about the potential for an individual to use autonomous drones to carry out a terror attack on a civilian population.

The UK government has been said to be funding the development of flying “killer robots” despite publicly stating it has no plans to develop them, a study claims. Research into fully autonomous drone weapons by the campaign group Drone Wars UK revealed the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (Dasa) is funding research for developing weapons able to kill without direct human input. Without a ban, there will be an arms race to develop increasingly capable autonomous weapons. These will be weapons of mass destruction. One programmer will be able to control a whole army.

3. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another person. Statistics show that over 40% of children have been bullied online and a shocking 9/10 of online victims are ignored. Cyberbullying may exacerbate mental health conditions among adolescents, particularly teens who have experienced previous emotional abuse, according to new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Diego. Effects of Cyberbullying include depression, dissociation and sometimes even death.

Let’s start with the Blue Whale Challenge. This is a game that does not physically exist and is hidden in a world that cannot be found, except to those who know how to find it. Imagine being trapped in a world with no escape for 50 days, ending with you taking your own life. If the participant refuses to complete their task, the administrator will release, publish, share, and/or post something extremely personal or highly-sensitive online from their accounts.

Similarly to the Blue Whale Challenge is the Momo Game. Momo has been described as a deadly suicide game and has been blamed for the deaths of a number of young people. The game itself centres around the disturbing image of a woman with grotesque features and bulging, black-ringed eyes. Mobile phone numbers have appeared online asking internet users to add them on WhatsApp to play the game. It has been linked to a series of reported suicides among youngsters across the globe in countries including Colombia, Argentina and India.

4. 3D printed guns

While 3D printers may sound like a fun and harmless new tech trend, you can pretty much 3D print anything so why stop at a 3D business card or a cute new keychain? The gun debate in America is as heated as it’s ever been, and people across the nation are looking for a solution to the violence. Many Americans believe that stronger regulations are necessary to combat gun crime, but 3D printing might make any new regulations obsolete. 3D printed guns are already a thing, and assault style rifles like the AR-15 can be printed with relative ease. You don’t even need to print the whole gun, you can just print the most important parts and then order the remaining online. Various websites sell design files and software to help users print and assemble their own guns.

And it doesn’t stop there….Dr. Philip Nitschke announced he was at work on a 3D-printed suicide machine known as “The Sarco”. Users climb into the device and the Sarco will then slowly decrease oxygen, allowing the person to lose consciousness and pass peacefully. As euthanasia is legal in Australia, the device is legal. To gain access, which comes in form of an access code that’s valid for 24 hours, users have to prove they’re mentally fit and have legitimate reasons to want to end their lives. While there are certainly arguments to be made for the right to a peaceful death, there’s something a little scary about a coffin-like device that seals users in and then suffocates them.

5. Death by VR

One of the most existentially horrifying applications of virtual reality is being tested by Frank Kolkman, a visionary designer with some very macabre ideas. He has created a virtual simulation that shows people what death might feel like, and he’s doing it to help dying patients come to terms with their fate. Kolkman believes “the fear and experience of death is a neglected topic,” and that “if we began treating our anxieties surrounding death, it might mean the process of dying could become more comfortable.” While this is form of technology at least has more benevolent intentions, it’s understandable to find the idea of seeing a preview of your own death a little terrifying.

As we approach 2019, our world is influenced more than ever by life-changing, radical technology. Groundbreaking innovations occur in basements, garages, hair salons…pretty much everywhere. As a result, new ideas are popping up every day around the world. Some of these are gold dust, shooting into beauty and excellence with the potential to change the world and save lives. Others fail to adhere to the code of conduct and result in dangerous, harmful technology. Technology at its worst. Technology that is threatening, harmful, evil and sometimes even able to completely annihilate mankind as a whole.