Читать книгу The Innovation Ultimatum - Steve Brown - Страница 18

From my time on the speaking circuit, I've learned that whenever I talk about future technology, particularly AI, it engenders a wide range of emotions in my audiences. Some people are energized and excited by the potential AI holds for humanity. Others are filled with fear. Most manage a healthy balance of both.

Technology has the potential to reshape humanity and propel it forward in giant leaps. AI may help us cure major diseases and unlock the secrets of the universe. Automation may also displace hundreds of millions of people from the workplace, and some tech luminaries warn that AI may ultimately destroy the human race.

Movies about aliens, killer robots, and pandemics sell tickets. Dystopian stories outsell utopian stories and strong stories are driven by conflict and drama. So, for decades, Hollywood has been fascinated by the darker side of technology's potential. Audiences love the spectacle of a Terminator stomping on human skulls, Mr. Anderson fighting Neo inside The Matrix, or Ava manipulating and killing her way out of captivity in Ex Machina. Directors want to tell a rollicking-good story; they're not there to accurately portray reality. We must recognize that our preconceptions and fears about technology are grounded in our exposure to these fictional stories. In part, this book is an attempt to counterbalance the Hollywood storytelling machine. Overall, technological advancement is a very positive force.

Our ancestors were afraid of telephones, televisions, and rock music. In the nineteenth century, people refused to ride trains believing that if your body moved faster than 30 miles per hour you would melt. Fire can warm a home or burn it to the ground. A split atom can power an entire city or devastate it. Technology is not the culprit; it's how we use it that matters. We must deploy technology responsibly, thoughtfully, and in a manner that benefits humans without posing unreasonable risks.

We are right to be cautious about the development of technology, but we must not fear it. Technology promises incredible potential to serve humanity. It may help us to address the challenges of climate change, eradicate diseases, improve transportation safety, eliminate fraud, limit waste, lower the cost of education, and deliver breakthroughs in the future of energy, materials science, and biology. Somebody reading this book—you, or your kids, or their kids—may have their lives saved by pharmaceuticals developed by a future AI. Should we deny you life because we've seen The Terminator a few too many times? We must retain healthy skepticism and ask tough questions about new technology, but remain open to the bounties it will bring. The six technologies described in this book will bring incredible innovation to every part or our lives. This is an exciting time to be alive! While automation will inevitably destroy some jobs, technology will create many new ones and elevate human work by taking on dull, routine tasks. New technology will create entire new career paths and make work more meaningful, challenging, creative, and rewarding.