Technology Solution

Full Title or Meme

As new technology is introduced, it is often viewed as providing solutions to existing problems, but its record at that is not good.

Context

When a new Technology Solution, like the printing press or Artificial Intelligence is introduced, it will initially be evaluated in terms of the laws and customs present when the new solution first appears. Such an analysis is typically wrong as the impact of the change is not understood. By now we should have encountered the impact of new technology sufficiently to understand this problem, but it seems we, as a species, are not capable of looking forward to understand how the technology will change society, and so we are not able to see how society itself must change to accommodate the new technology.

Problem

• The introduction of new technology will often disturb the existing civilizations. Some, like the introduction of the printing press, do so in radical ways that are not initially understood. It is not uncommon for new technology to be:

1. debunked as of no particular value
2. laughed at when it does not meet its original expectations
3. feared as something that will destroy either: our children, our wives, our parents, our entire civilization
4. actually fail to deliver any value and get entirely forgotten within a few years
5. finally accepted as just part of the current society where the change was either a) really bad, b) so-so, c) quite good, for us all.

• Legislation is typically Reactionary. When a civilization becomes unstable as a result of any change, the lawmakers are compelled to act. It is unlikely that the existing lawmakers can understand the causes of the instability, particularly when the root cause is a new technology. The easiest solutions are to make minor adjustments to ameliorate the impact of the technology. Changes that fail to address the root causes of the instability are not likely to have any discernible effect at reducing the instability. In fact whenever an unstable condition exists, more change will, most likely, create more instability. This is a well known effect in control theory.
• When dealing with unstable systems, adding energy or input can amplify the instability rather than stabilizing it. This phenomenon occurs because unstable systems often have inherent feedback loops that react unpredictably to external changes.
  • Mechanical Systems: In an unstable bridge or structure, external forces (like wind) can exacerbate oscillations and lead to collapse.
  • Ecological Systems: Introducing new variables (like a new species to control pests) can destabilize the balance further.
  • Economic Systems: In a volatile market, injecting resources without addressing root causes can intensify fluctuations.

Social Solutions

• Whenever a civilization becomes unstable, emergency steps to reduce the pain are often necessary.
• To reduce the instability the controllers of the civilization need to understand the root caused and address those.
• In the case of the introduction of the printing press, Stability was not achieved until decades of war between opposing solutions.
• So the ultimate solution to social change is revolution and sometimes the eliminations of several layers of ossified bureaucracy.
• More civilized solutions are desired, but often difficult to craft.
• When revolution is required, the social impact of that can be ameliorated by careful planning of the result, as was the case in the Glorious Revolution of 1688" in Britain, or the American Revolution and the constitution that was adopted.

Fixing Problems created by Technology

As pointed out above, introducing more change to a changing civilization is not likely to have the desired effect. Still there are two type of reaction which differ specifically in the time frame to which they apply.

1. Immediate fixes to the technology. The problem here is that immediate technological fixes typically come from the same people that create the problem, which they are no real incentive to even acknowledge as their problem. Also these are typically public companies which are rewarded for short term profit maximization and cant really afford to take long term goal.
2. Long term fixes to the technology. The problem here is that it is hard to put the genie in the bottle as more profitable companies are loath to abandon their money-making solutions. The market place will only reward those new solutions that are profitable, so law that is based on improved outcomes, rather the punishment for real or perceived harms, is the base approach. Unfortunately, law is by majority rule, and there is little experience to show that majority rule more oriented to good long term plans than are profit-making corporations.
3. Explaining a future in terms that are understandable to the populate seems to be the only way to avoid catastrophe. A good example is environmental protection when expressed in human terms, like clear air and clean water.

Good Intentions

Tim Berners-Lee is trying to tell us that his intentions for the web were honorable and somehow the catastrophe is not his fault. He claims 'I wanted the web to serve humanity." But the contemporaneous reports were that he was focused on the information sharing within the scientific community. Commercial traffic on the internet was not even encouraged until 1994, about the same time that the Netscape Navigator was released.

Let's look at several other cases of where good intentions did not bring the desired result:

Americans in the early 19th century indulged in the fantasy that Technology could bind all peoples of the world together. In 1858 a cable laid between the US and England was to be the beginning of this Utopia. Samuel F B Morse believed the telegraph enable world peace. "One of its effects will be to bind men to his fellow men and to put an end to war. War is a shortcoming that could be overcome by way of a machine." He believed that simply laying down a telegraph cable across the continent would bind all American together in a eliminate regional differences. The civil war was in full swing within a decade.

The Gatling gun was touted as and end to war. The machine gun continues to the the most lethal hand held weapon of human slaughter. This enables lone gunmen to inflict wartime levels of causalities in civilian settings.

Herbert Hoover thought that radio would bring the country together (as did S. B. Morse) and that technology would soon eliminate poverty in the US, just one year before the economy collapsed and radio became the favorite podium for demagogues like Father Coughlin and others.

The Atom Bomb was dropped on Japan to save lives of warfighters. Humans have succeed in creating a weapon to wipe out all of humanity.

Artificial Intelligence is adopted by Military organizations to save the lives of their warfighters. It is also used by totalitarian regimes to segregate out people to be marginalized or killed. It is now being placed into obsolete warplanes in place of pilots, not only to save lives of warfighters, but to lower the cost of killing others.

Now Mark Zuckerberg tells us that his intentions with Facebook were to bind mankind together. The results are similar to those above.

Directed Results

Ensuring that technological advancements benefit humanity involves a combination of ethical considerations, inclusive practices, and a focus on solving real-world problems. Here are some key strategies:

Ethical Considerations Ethical Design: Incorporate ethical principles in the design and development of technology to ensure it respects human rights, privacy, and autonomy.

Regulation and Oversight: Establish clear regulations and oversight mechanisms to prevent misuse and ensure accountability.

Transparency: Promote transparency in how technology works, how data is used, and how decisions are made.

Inclusive Practices Accessibility: Design technology to be accessible to all, including people with disabilities, the elderly, and those in underserved communities.

Diversity: Involve diverse perspectives in the development process to ensure technology serves the needs of various populations.

Education and Training: Provide education and training to equip people with the skills needed to use and benefit from new technologies.

Focus on Real-World Problems Healthcare: Use technology to improve healthcare outcomes, enhance patient care, and make medical treatments more accessible and affordable.

Environmental Sustainability: Develop technologies that address environmental challenges, such as renewable energy, waste reduction, and conservation efforts.

Economic Opportunities: Create technologies that generate new job opportunities, improve productivity, and foster economic growth.

Responsible Innovation Social Impact Assessment: Conduct assessments to understand the potential social impact of new technologies and mitigate any negative effects.

Long-Term Thinking: Consider the long-term implications of technological advancements and strive for sustainable development.

Collaboration: Foster collaboration between governments, industry, academia, and civil society to address complex challenges and ensure technology serves the common good.

By adhering to these principles, we can harness the power of technological advancements to create a better future for all. If you have any specific areas you'd like to explore further, feel free to ask!

References

Other Material

See the wiki pages on Technology Acceptance and Technology Risk