Social Impact of Technology Assignment

1. Technology will
Destroy our Planet
By: Justin Caron
Student: 100105250
Course: Social Impact of
Technology

2. Introduction
The most important question that we all face as a society
relates to the possibility that technology will eventually
become mankind's own undoing. Physicist Stephen Hawking
believes, “We face a number of threats to our own survival
from nuclear war, catastrophic global warming, artificial
intelligence and genetically engineered viruses. The number is
likely to increase in the future, with the development of new
technologies, and new ways things can go wrong” (Richter,
2016).

3. Technological effects on
the Environment
 An overall increase in travel has led to extremely high levels of noise,
air, and water pollution
 Nuclear power and fossil fuels are heavily relied on to provide
unnecessary amounts of power consumption
 New technologies have contributed to enormous amounts of waste.
“We need to think of the total cost of ownership — not just for us
personally, but for the world and the planet we live on” (Magid, 2013).
 Widespread deforestation has increased the extinction of many species
of plants, birds and animals

4. “While modern technology has given people more convenience, it also has
harmed the environment” (Stanic, 2017). Our overall lack of regard for the
environment continues to affect the climate, to the point where we cannot
survive in it anymore. Technology may be the cause to the end of the world,
but likely it will be less of a bang and more of a whimper.

5. Risks of Artificial Intelligence
BECOMING SELF AWARE DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITIES

6. Artificial Intelligence
Should we be worried?
The advancement of new technologies has enabled
computers and robots the ability of taking over more
responsibilities from humans each and every day.

7. Negative Advances in
Military Technologies
 Cruise missiles and smart bombs promise pinpoint
accuracy, but often miss their intended targets causing
catastrophic loss of life
 Ethical and legal concerns regarding privacy exist when
using high tech surveillance drones
 Terrorism has been greatly enhanced by the introduction of
social media, cell phones, and computers

8. Destructive Technologies

9. Nanotechnology
 Programmed to perform
specific attacks against
certain materials, such as
metals, water, internal
organs, or specific DNA
sequences
 “It's a threat that stems from
two extremely powerful
forces: unchecked self-
replication and exponential
growth” (Dvorsky, 2014).

10. Conclusion
It has become very apparent to me
that there are certain technologies
that should never, ever, come into
existence. More and more
everyday, I continuously see
people just staring at their cell
phones. I often wonder if we are
really that far away from a point in
history when humans and machines
are one and the same. Technology
ultimately needs to be controlled in
order to stop it from destroying our
planet. “Technology happens to
humans rather than humans playing
in a part of it” (Hudson, 2017).

11. References
Dvorsky, G. (2014, September 16). 10 Horrifying Technologies That Should
Never Be Allowed To Exist. Retrieved from Gizmodo:
http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-horrifying-technologies-that-should-never-
be-allowed- 1635238363.
Hudson, A. (2017, July 27). The end of humanity as we know it is ‘coming in
2045’and Google is preparing for it. Retrieved from Metro:
http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/27/the-end-of-humanity-as-we-know-it-is-
coming-in-2045-and-big-companies-are-working-towards-it-6807683/.
Magid, L. (2013, June24). How Tech Helps and Harms the Environment.
Retrieved from Huff Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-
maid/how-tech-helps-and-harms_b_3147433.html.

12. References Continued
Richter, G. (2016, January 19). Stephen Hawking: Technology Will Eventually
Kill Us. Retrieved from NEWSMAX:
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/stephen-hawking- technology-
destroy-humanity/2016/01/19/id/710086/.
Stanic, C. (2017). Bad Effects of Modern Technology in the Environment.
Retrieved from People of our everyday life:
http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/bad-effects-modern-technology-
environment-10964.html.