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Why the Future Needs Us by Mark Stewart Does the future need us? What an interesting and provocative question. Twenty or thirty years ago I do not think that there would be a single person who would ever possibly consider that this question might be an issue. However, with technology and other new creations and innovations advancing as rapidly as they have in the past decade or so, it unfortunately seems to be an issue that we may or may not have to face. It seems that more and more important people in the technology industry or in other industries seem to be coming to the realization that we could be asking for our own death by advancing things so rapidly. Bill Joy is just one of an ever-growing number of people who seem to think this way. While I can understand and somewhat visualize the potential for things to get out of hand, I just cannot ever see a future where the world exists and humans do not. There are basically three main reasons that I think and feel this way. First of all, I happen to believe in a God who would not let humans destroy themselves in this way. The second reason is that I cannot foresee a world where humans become mastered by their own creations. Finally, one must consider the idea of human progress when considering this issued. This idea simply seems absurd to me. Despite what Joy or some others may think, I still say that the future will most definitely need us. Similar to what was previously stated, the first reason that the human race will exist in the future is that God will not let the human race perish before the end of the world. It may seem foolish to apply a religious belief to a technological situation such as this, but I think that it holds a large amount of validity and relevance. For one thing, humans are God’s master creation, and that means to me that there is nothing greater than us on the earth. If that is true, then it is impossible for humans to create a machine or other being that could destroy God’s best work. The idea is simply illogical and impossible if one considers it closely. If you are a religious person than you realize how absurd it is for us, simple humans, to outdo God, the Supreme Being. Also, if one considers humans to be God’s supreme creation then one knows that God is closely watching over us. If the human race were to become extinct, would not the end of the world coincide with the end of our species. If one takes a religious view about the issue, then it seems to be a simple and feasible idea. Another idea that must be considered when looking from a religious view is that one of the things that holds the world together is human feelings and emotion. Without these things, the world would be a completely different place. No matter how advanced things become in the next couple of years or far into the future, no being will ever be able to re-create the feelings and emotions that are unique to human beings. This section of views may seem to be extremely biased and one-sided and to some degree it is. However, in a world where a large percentage of its inhabitants do believe in or worship some form of deity, my point can be considered relevant. In this section, my argument has somewhat of a focus on superiority; the next section of my argument against Joy also deals with superiority. Humans have always held power and control over their creations and productions just as God holds power and control over what he creates. The case of technology will never act differently than any of the previous inventions of man. With computers, man may not be able to match the speed of the machine’s capabilities, but he still holds control over the computer. A human mind is necessary at some point to give commands to the computer. That is to say, computers do not accomplish anything unless man tells them to. This idea does not sound too imposing to me, unless a terrorist or other person of low intelligence was to command the computer to destroy the world. In addition, the idea of robots taking over the world is also somewhat absurd. Before considering any other points, one must remember that robots also need to be programmed by humans. I realize that our species continually strives to create more efficient and more powerful robots, but at some point a wise person will step in before we create a death sentence for ourselves. Also, in order for a group or series of robots to vanquish humans, it would require the perfect machine. In all the history of the world, man has yet to create the perfect device. Our species will never be overcome by another form of life as long as there are machines and devices created by humans. It will always be necessary to have humans to fix mistakes and glitches with the creations. While robots have adapted to some of these tasks, humans will still always be necessary because the robots must be taught and programmed by someone. Finally, when looking at the future of the human race, one must consider the idea of human progress. Since prehistoric times, man has advanced his way of life. This has happened through different discoveries and inventions. It is a proven fact that the human race is scared most by change. The stage of inventions and technology that the world is currently in is no different from any previous stage of advancement. There have been fears about new inventions with every set of new inventions. For example, the Industrial Revolution was thought of as an end to individualized work and people thought that it could lead to several negative side effects. While this fear has come true to some degree, individual small businesses can still be found all over the world. While some people, such as Bill Joy, fear for the existence of our species, I do not think that our situation will ever become that bad. Humans have always been able to control the new things that they create, even if they have large destructive powers. An example of this is the atomic bomb. In the world today, there is more than an adequate amount of nuclear weapons to destroy the world, however it has not happened and will not happen. Wise people and cooler heads always prevail when it comes to the subject of self-destruction. It is my opinion that the same thing will happen with technology. The potential for disaster may possibly be there, but our species will have enough common sense and intelligence to not let things get out of hand. Human progress has not grown out of control in the thousands of years leading up to now, so it is unreasonable to think that this will change in the near or distant future. People who think like Bill Joy are necessary to keep the world in an even balance, but their ideas are not always necessarily right. Religious reasons, human mastery of its creations, and the idea of controlled human progress make up the bulk of my argument as to why the future needs us. While it is healthy to look ahead and be precautious about the future it is also unwise to be afraid that the sky is going to fall. Humans did not have control over their creation and they will not be able to stipulate when their lifespan will end either. As long as the world exists the human race will inhabit it. In short, the future needs us, because without us, there is no future.
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Bill Joy, Killjoy? by Robert Wright The Future Needs Us: A Rejoinder to Bill Joy - Terry van der Werff - Global Future Global Future Reportô March 14th, 2000 Dr. Terry van der Werff, CMC Speaker Consultant http://www.globalfuture.com/wired-joy.htm |
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