SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

Science, Technology & Society (Lecture)

BSN-N2 | PROF. CATAAG | 2ND SEM MIDTERMS

philosophical investigation, and learn for conventional

issues of reasoning.
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are digital Lesson 3 – Why the Future Does Not Need Us
technologies that will have critical effect on the ● The arrival of the present millennium filled
advancement of humankind within the close future many with a sense of hope for the future.
which frequently centered on “concerns” of various ● This hope is underwritten by a continuing faith
sorts. In specific, we don't wish to limit “intelligence” to in the technological and scientific progress that
what would require insights on the off chance that has produced so many things that we have
done by people. But the main social and ethical issues come to take for granted, among them the
raised by the ever-faster application of robots to our Internet.
daily life, and especially to sensitive human areas. ● When the stunning article by Bill Joy (is an
- In his 1942 collection of science fiction stories, I, American computer scientist who co founded
Robot, Isaac Asimov introduced the Three Laws of Sun Microsystems) in April 2000 “Why the
Robotics, also known as Asimov’s laws: Future Doesn’t Need Us”, made the cover of
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, Wired Magazine, it created quite a rumble in
through inaction, allow a human being to come high-tech circles. Its argument was that “our
to harm. most powerful 21st century technologies are
2. A robot must obey orders given by a human threatening to make humans an endangered
being unless it conflicts with the First Law. species.”These are:
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long 1. Robotics- an interdisciplinary research area at
as such protection won’t conflict with the First the interface of computer science and
or Second Law. engineering. Robotics involves design,
- Outlined in the Handbook of Robotics, 56th Edition, construction, operation, and use of robots.
2058 A.D, these laws were intended as a safety 2. Genetic engineering- Genetic engineering,
feature to ensure that robots were designed not to also called recombinant DNA technology,
harm humans in any way. However, AI and robotics involves the group of techniques used to cut up
are going to shape our future. and join together genetic material, especially
- Listed below are 10 issues that professionals and DNA from different biological species, and to
researchers need to address in order to design introduce the resulting hybrid DNA into an
intelligent systems that help humanity. organism in order to form new combinations of
1. Misinformation and Fake News heritable genetic material.
2. Job Displacement 3. Nanotech- The earliest, widespread
3. Privacy description of nanotechnology referred to the
4. Cybersecurity particular technological goal of precisely
5. Mistakes of AI manipulating atoms and molecules for
6. Military Robots fabrication of macroscale products, also now
7. Algorithmic Bias referred to as molecular nanotechnology. Joy
8. Regulation arguing that human beings face the realistic
9. Superintelligence possibility of extinction because of competition
10. Robot Rights from intelligent robots, which are made possible
- AI and robotics have raised essential questions by technological advancements in artificial
around what we ought to do with these frameworks, intelligence. He locates these dangers in the
what the frameworks themselves ought to do, and potential (or actual) ability of robots, engineered
what dangers they have within the long term. They organisms and nanobots to self-replicate.
moreover challenge the human see of humankind as - If these technologies go out of control, this
the shrewdly and overwhelming species on Soil. We amplifying factor can lead to substantial
have seen issues that have been raised and will need damage in the physical world, not unlike the
to observe innovative and social advancements closely potential of computer viruses to do harm.
to capture the unused issues early on, create a Worse, unlike conventional “weapons of mass

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 destruction,” 21st-century technologies are Joy’s dilemma and argument
much more readily available to individuals or ● His worries focus on the transforming
small groups, and having knowledge alone is technologies of the 21st century— genetics,
sufficient to enable their deployment. nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR). Joy
5.1. Scientist Critics claims that we will soon achieve the computing
- Joy traces his worries to a discussion he had with power necessary to implement some of the
Ray Kurzweil at a conference in 1998. He had read an scenarios envisioned by Kurzweil and
early draft of Kurzweil’s The Age of Spiritual Moravec, but worries that we overestimate our
Machines: When Computers Exceed Human design abilities. Such hubris may lead to
Intelligence and found it deeply disturbing. disaster. Summarize below are some
- Subsequently, he encountered arguments by the opponents’ arguments from his article. Joy’s big
Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. Kaczynski argued that if fish eat little fish argument quotes robotics
machines do all of society’s work, as they inevitably pioneer Hans Moravec: “Biological species
will, then we can: almost never survive encounters with
a. let the machines make all the decisions; or superior competitors.” He suggests we will
b. maintain human control over the machines. be driven to extinction by our superior robotic
- If we choose “a” then we are at the mercy of our descendants.
machines. It is not that we would give them control or ● In his vision of the future presupposes that
that they would take control, rather, we might become robots and humans will remain separate
so dependent on them that we would have to accept creatures, a view explicitly rejected by robotics
their commands. Needless to say, Joy doesn’t like this expert Rodney Brooks and others. Thus, we
scenario. don’t know that robots will be the bigger fish,
- If we choose “b” then control would be in the hands that they will eat us even if they are, or that
of an elite, and the masses would be unnecessary. In there will even be distinct fishes.
that case, the tiny elite: ● Joy’s mad scientist argument describes a
1. would exterminate the masses molecular biologist who “constructs and
2. reduce their birthrate so they slowly became disseminates a new and highly contagious
extinct; or plague that kills widely but selectively.”
3. become benevolent shepherds to the masses. self-replication amplifies the danger of GNR: “A
bomb is blown up only once— but one bot can
- The first two scenarios entail our extinction, but even become many, and quickly get out of control.”
the third option is bad. In this last scenario, the elite First of all, bombs replicate, they just don’t
would fulfill all physical and psychological needs of the replicate by themselves. Joy’s concern must
masses, while at the same time engineering the not be with replication, but with self-replication.
masses to sublimate their desire for power. In this ● Joy’s lack of control argument focuses on the
case, the masses might be happy, but they wouldn’t be self-replicating nature of GNR. self-replication
free. amplifies the danger of GNR: “A bomb is blown
- Joy finds these arguments both convincing and up only once—but one bot can become many,
troubling. About this time Joy read Hans Moravec's and quickly get out of control.”
Book Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind ● Robotic self-replication appears to be out of
where he found predictions similar to Kurzweil’s. Joy our control, as compared to our own or other
was especially concerned by Moravec’s claim that humans’ self-replication.
technological superiors always defeat technological ● Joy fears that robots might replicate and then
inferiors, as well as his claim that humans will become enslave us
extinct as they merge with the robots. Disturbed, Joy ● Joy stand corrected in “uncontrolled
consulted other computer scientists who, for the most self-replication in these newer technologies
part, agreed with these predictions. runs a risk of substantial damage in the
- In addition, Joy’s vision of the future presupposes physical world,” so too does the “uncontrolled
that robots and humans will remain separate creatures, self replication” of humans, their biological
a view explicitly rejected by robotics expert Rodney tendencies, their hatreds, and their ideologies.
Brooks and others. If Brooks is correct, humans will ● Joy’s easy access argument claims that
gradually incorporate technology into their own bodies 20th-century technologies nuclear, biological,
thus eliminating the situation that Joy envisions. and chemical (NBC)—required access to rare

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 “raw materials and highly protected
information,” while 21st-century technologies
“are widely within the reach of individuals or
small groups.”
➢ This means that “knowledge alone will enable
the use of them,” a phenomenon that Joy
terms: “knowledge-enabled mass destruction
(KMD).”
● Joy’s technologies make things worse
argument.
- As for genetic engineering, I know of no
reason—short of childish pleas not to play
God—to impede our increasing abilities to
perfect our bodies, eliminate disease, and
prevent deformity.
● As for nanotechnology, Joy eloquently writes of
how “engines of creation” may transform into
“engines of destruction
● Joy gives us no reason whatsoever to share his
fear about the fact that NBC technologies have
largely military uses and were developed by
governments, while GNR have commercial
uses and are being developed by corporations.
Joy’s it’s never been this bad argument:
➢ “this is the first moment in the history of
our planet when any species by its
voluntary actions has become a danger
to itself.” Thus, humans are a greater
threat to themselves now than ever
before.
● A basic difficulty with Joy’s article is this: he
mistakenly accepts the notion that technology
rules people rather than the reverse. But if we
can control our technology, there is another
solution to our dilemmas. We can use our
technology to change ourselves; to make
ourselves more ethical, cautious, insightful, and
intelligent.
Aftermath
- After the publication of the article, Bill Joy suggested
assessing technologies to gauge their implicit dangers,
as well as having scientists refuse to work on
technologies that have the potential to cause harm.
- In the 15th Anniversary issue of Wired in 2008, Lucas
Graves's article reported that the genetics,
nanotechnology, and robotics technologies have not
reached the level that would make Bill Joy's scenario
come.