Why a Technology Freeze is Impossible, only because we are too human.

Why a Technology Freeze is Impossible: Mitigating the Challenges Ahead

As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented rate, some experts have proposed the idea of a technology freeze. The idea is to halt the development and deployment of new technologies to mitigate the negative consequences that arise from them. While the intention behind this proposal is understandable, a technology freeze is simply impossible to implement. Here are some reasons why:

1. It is impossible to reach a global consensus: Technology is a global phenomenon, and it would be difficult to convince all countries to agree on a technology freeze. Even if some countries agreed to a freeze, others might not. Countries that do not agree to a freeze could continue developing and deploying new technologies, rendering the freeze ineffective. Here are some important failures of reaching global consensus. Think about Climate action and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to renewable energy, nuclear weapons, small arms control, human rights violations, pandemic response, migration and refugees,... all illustrate the difficulties of reaching global consensus on complex issues, particularly when there are power imbalances, competing interests and priorities between different countries.
2. The speed of technological change: Technology evolves rapidly, and a freeze would be unable to keep up with the pace of technological advancement. Technology moves at a much faster pace than both national and international negotiations, making it difficult to enforce a freeze.
3. The potential for black markets: A technology freeze could lead to the creation of black markets for new technologies. Countries and companies that are unable to develop or acquire new technologies legally might turn to black markets to obtain them, creating a dangerous and unregulated market. There have been lots of cases of military-grade weapons, falling off some truck somewhere and have been sold on black markets. (makes me think of how to fight corruption even in countries with armed conflict? )
4. The potential for unintended consequences: A freeze could have unintended consequences, such as stifling innovation, hindering economic growth, and limiting scientific progress, furthering the fractured global communities working on science and technology across divides (north-south, east west.. )

Given these challenges, it is clear that a technology freeze is not a feasible solution. In fact, this is very illustrative of the fractured global community to act upon the "tragedies of global commons". Instead, we need to find ways to mitigate the negative impacts of technology while continuing to advance it. Here are some ideas:

1. Develop ethical guidelines: We need to develop ethical guidelines for the development and deployment of new technologies. These guidelines should be based on a set of universal values that prioritize the well-being of society and the environment. We must strongly invest here, but we don't at the moment. Shout out to Elon Musk, if Twitter is valued at $42Bllion, oh $20billion... how valuable is the development of multilateral ethical guidelines?
2. Foster global cooperation: We need to foster global cooperation to ensure that all countries are on the same page when it comes to technology development and deployment. This cooperation should include sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices. We must a strong advocate for global cooperation, and we surely need a more efficient and effective United Nations system. (Let's not forget they have been trying to reform themselves for decades without much success, which reminds me of how the "league of nations" was decommissioned !)
3. Promote responsible innovation: We need to promote responsible innovation by encouraging companies and individuals to consider the potential impacts of new technologies before developing and deploying them. This can be done through education, incentives, and regulation. We have greatly failed in the past. Perhaps we can upscale and up level AI to help regulate AI innovation.

In conclusion, a technology freeze is simply not a feasible solution to the challenges posed by advancing technology. Instead, we need to find ways to mitigate the negative impacts of technology while continuing to advance it. By developing ethical guidelines, fostering global cooperation, promoting responsible innovation, and encouraging technological diversity, we can create a world in which technology serves society and the environment in a positive way. One thing is for sure, we need more investments are required to keep the communication channels open between humans. We need more technology philosophers in the discussion loops. And finally, more, Much more investments are required to rebuild trust across both existing institutions (if that is still the way to go) and the creation of the new institutions to meet the challenges of the day.

Thank you frITs Bussemaker for inspiring me to write this article today and thank you to 瑞士苏黎世联邦理工学院 Andreas Krause and @Alexander Ilic for your article https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2023/03/interview-ilic-krause-ai-development-freeze.html

I am just about to ask ChatGPT for some food suggestions for dinner tonight, and maybe I'll invent a new cocktail for the tasting. Looking forward to hear your thoughts.

#ai #aifreeze #ethics #i4ada #digitaltransformation #digitalinstitution #diplomacy #multilateralism #stakeholdermanagement #disruptivetechnologies #elonmusk #openai #chatgpt #backtothefuture