05 February 2007

Why the future doesn't need us ?

Listening to the idea that machines can overthrow humans is hard to believe but could be a possibility with very high probability. Similar ideas were also expressed in popular science fiction movies such as Matrix and I-Robot but I have never realized the incumbent danger. On reading someone who has provided the whole world a new direction with his programming tools like UNIX operating system and Vi Editor makes me think in the similar way. Probably I am also a part of neo-ludditism or I am not, it doesn’t make a difference because we all need to re evaluate our technological progress. Are we going in the right direction? Should we retard the process of development? What should be the limit of it and is it the end of the world which we are approaching? There are many questions which remains unanswered in my mind after reading this article from Bill Joy.

Nature has given enough to meet man’s need but not enough to meet man’s greed”. The famous saying of Mahatma Gandhi echoes from somewhere nears the horizon. Man should stop being more and more greedy of technology. But is not the greed of seeking knowledge is good? In our pursuit we have got struck. Should we move forward or should we look backward. What are the solutions? I think Bill Joy himself has no answers at the end of writing this article. However an immediate action could be putting up a strong regulation on the development of GNR technologies. But this can only be a temporary treatment and not the permanent cure of the problem.

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