Nine Intimidating Technological Innovations that You May Face in the Future. Part 2
The future will bring brand-new technological advances that may seem scary. Let’s find out whether we should be terrified of the technologically abundant future!
In this cycle, we continue talking about the fruits of technological progress that seems kind of debatable, provocative, and even vicious.
This article is dedicated to discussing technological advances that may enter our lives soon, and some of them are very much debatable. This information requires you to open your mind, remove mental boundaries, and if any critical thought crosses your mind, remind yourself that it is just a theory.
You may agree or disagree with these theories; you may welcome them or resist them. It’s completely okay because there is no right answer.
Realistic Sex Robots
Since the very beginning of human civilization, people have managed to create things to satisfy their emotional needs, such as literature, fine arts, music, languages, and sciences, all bringing mental satisfaction as an alternative for that of sex. Still, sex is a source of pleasure much older than any others known to us. People have been having sex since the earliest times, and this way of finding pleasure is as popular as it has ever been.
It would be strange if AI invaded all our aspects of our lives without getting into our beds. All areas that capture people’s attention and can be a source of income instantly become a subject for AI penetration. It won’t take too long for technologies to conquer our intimate lives — in fact, it’s already happening.
High-tech companies all over the world have developed robots and technologies connected to mobile phones to respond to people’s sexual needs. It seems like Android’s purpose as solely a mobile operating system will soon come to an end. Human-like robots operated by our mobile phones and corresponding to all our desires are on the way.
These “sex machines” can be very realistic. Technological advances make it possible to create them very realistically — 100% identical to a real human and able to make the same moves and actions and bend into various positions. Having sex with AI robots will be better than real sex because we will manipulate the robots, and they won’t have to guess what we like or dislike in a bed. There will be no room for misunderstanding, that’s for sure. We won’t have to feel ashamed anymore — a sex robot will never judge our actions or desires.
It’s not only physical requirements that they will cater to. Emotions — one of the fundaments of having sex with a real person — won’t be ignored by the AI lovers. Sex robots will gladly listen to all your problems, give you emotional support, hug you and tell you that everything is going to be okay, and then satisfy you in bed and hug you again. Soon you will forget that it’s not a real person because it’s will feel 100% real. They can be real individuals with their own characters, and we will probably be able to even marry them in the future.
Some technological developments have already been carried out to create personalized sex robots.
Why Is It Scary?
There are three basic reasons to be scared of sex robots:
1) They are vulnerable to hacker attacks. However real it may seem, it’s still a technology — a computer that can be hacked by anyone wishing to cause you harm. Because sex robots will be physically close to us, they could do a lot of harm if programmed to do so. For example, if you have an enemy who wants you dead, he or she could invade your AI partner’s brain and make the robot murder you, say, in the middle of a sexual act to make it look like an accident.
2) Robots will replace real people. People will soon stop even trying to find a real human soulmate, knowing that it’s much simpler to buy one. Real people have their drawbacks. They can be stubborn or infantile, while robots will be exactly how you want them to be. You just need to state your requirements to a shop assistant.
3) People will stop having children. The concept of family as a sacred value will become a thing of the past. No one will bother trying to adapt to someone or compromise. People will forget how to forgive and love because they will be given exactly what they need without putting any effort into it.
As appealing as sex robots may seem, they can bring us close to losing our sense of reality. We won’t care about humans anymore, and we won’t need real friends — robots will replace all types of social connections. The world as it is today, with its values and pleasures, won’t exist anymore. People will become extreme introverts, which will create and worsen many psychological problems that, for the record, already characterize our fast-paced and money-centric life.
Should It Scare Us?
Possibly, yes. But not too much.
The three described issues sound frightening, but we don’t know for sure whether they will be this bad in the future.
First, we need to remember that people change over time. The world keeps going forward, and everything evolves, shaping our lives in accordance with the environment. Sex is considered equally biological and social, and it is seen differently by every culture. Some cultural environments welcome monogamy, while other cultures are strictly dedicated to polygamy. Some cultures pay a lot of attention to sexuality and appearances, while others celebrate inner beauty and spiritual harmony. Some cultures accept homosexuality as the primary advantage, while others judge it.
It’s not a question of whether sex robots become a part of our lives or not. They will, for sure. But it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be such a big problem.
For now, people are suspicious of sex robots. They are ashamed and afraid of public judgment because it is not considered “normal” in our culture. People are still quite reserved when it comes to intimacy and sex, and letting technologies enter this world so openly and boldly runs counter to their traditional perceptions.
What do I think about it? It’s just a matter of time. There were times when people were embarrassed to even say “sex” or discuss it with anyone.
With the evolution of society, its norms, and its beliefs, we may soon find ourselves accepting relationships between people and robots with the same delight as we feel about human relationships. At the end of the day, it’s better to see our friends and relatives surrounded by the love and care of AI lovers than to see them completely alone. I am not saying that I am 100% supportive of this idea, but we will probably have to accept this reality very soon.
Let’s get back to the hacking issue. We have given up our whole lives to technologies long ago by giving them the keys from our homes, access to our mobile phones, the ability to drive us places, and the responsibility to do practically everything for us. The chance that these systems could be hacked to do us harm is the same as with sex robots. Have you heard of a smart home that was programmed to kill its owner by some hacker? I haven’t.
As for children, medical technology has already made a step forward in this direction. It’s a common practice worldwide to use artificial insemination and surrogacy. Medicine can keep going deeper into this issue once people stop having babies naturally. Maybe robot-partners will be able to carry babies or just be good parents for them.
Once again, I am not trying to make this idea look perfect. I have no personal bias concerning whether it’s good or bad. It’s just a matter of fact that society is ready or almost ready to take these steps. The only thing that bothers me about this technology is the feeling of love that can be completely lost in future generations. Love is about making your partner happy and caring about his or her wishes, even if they don’t correspond to yours. It’s about compromise, and what compromise can we talk about if a robotic lover perfectly adjusts to all our wishes? Can we even love a robot the same way we love people?
If it’s possible to find any real advantage to this technology, it is the fact that criminal sexual acts can finally come to an end. Sex won’t be inaccessible anymore, and sexual maniacs will be able to have what they want without hurting other people. There will be no prostitutes anymore, which is another positive effect. This technology could reduce or eliminate domestic abuse. Going even deeper, people suffering from pedophilia could satisfy their weird needs with the help of child-like robots.
Before you curse me for what I just said, think twice about the problem of pedophilia as a whole. It’s going to take thousands of years to eliminate it from our lives (if it’s possible at all) because people are becoming more and more ego-centric, depraved, and sexually open to experiments without any boundaries. The problem is very complicated, and robots can help if not by rooting it out then by at least protecting real children from the harm and violence.
Nanites
Nanites are micro-robots that are so small that they are completely invisible to the eye unless there are hundreds of them gathered in one place. They are supposed to fly around us like microbes, be on any surface or food, inside and out our systems. Unlike microbes, they will be fully controlled and manipulated by a person.
Their purposes will include cleaning the air and premises, regulate our body conditions, and controlling atmospheric temperature, humidity, and other weather readings. They will be fully adaptable to any environment they are in.
They could be even used to investigate outer space, exploring stars and other planets. In general, they will do everything humankind could possibly think of.
Why Is It Scary?
How do you feel about millions of micro-robots filling your body and influencing it somehow? I don’t think anyone would be comfortable having them inside their body.
The reason for our fears is similar to all the concerns about advanced technologies: control. When technologies (that are, by the way, always controlled by a person) control your body, it means you are 100% under someone else’s control. It’s the same as hacking, but who cares whether the technology was hacked or designed with these purposes in the first place? If it can hurt you and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it, it’s not okay.
Should It Scare Us?
Definitely, and there are reasons why.
Hacker attacks will always be a threat. They are already, but what is hacking a computer compared to hacking our environment? The air, the water, the space, the planet — once we surrender them to the technologies’ control, we can lose it all the minute one crazy person decides that life is too dull and boring.
However, we should admit that security technologies develop alongside other technologies. The more technological our world becomes, the more secure it needs to be. If t civilization arrives at launching billions of nanites, they should be duly secured and protected from any possible hacker attack with top-notch proficiency. On the other hand, “top-notch” never stays the same, and there’s always something more “top-notch” ready to break down all security measures from previous technologies.
Finally, there are plenty of things that can destroy our planet much more expertly than nanites.
6. Designed Children
Designed children are those that have specifically developed with the use of genetic code management.
People’s interest in the issue of handling and changing genetic codes to create clones or any other living creatures to meet certain requirements has always been very strong. Genetic science has achieved the highest results in decoding genes and managing to manipulate them in ways we dare not even imagine.
What do geneticists have in store for us? They aim to provide services to create children to meet specific requirements, a better version of a human that is resistant to most diseases and physical impairments. You can “order” any child you want — short or tall, blonde or brunette, grey-eyed or green-eyed, mathematically-minded or a humanitarian. All you need is creativity and money to receive the baby of your dreams without relying on fate.
Why Is It Scary?
Just the thought of genetically modified babies reminds us of Hitler’s genetic experiments, which is a strong negative association.
It’s okay to be scared of genetic modifications. Many of us still think that mother nature knows best, and in hopes of enhancing something, we could make a mistake and make things even worse. Many resist using genetic manipulations due to religious beliefs — playing with genes is like competing with God, not trusting Him to give us a good child, or judging His choices. Many are afraid that they won’t be able to treat this child as a real human because they will always remember how the baby was created.
Wanting a baby that conforms to certain standards and requirements replaces the value of life. It’s like we care more about whether the baby is beautiful than whether it exists at all. These children could have further issues with accepting themselves. They may think that their parents love them not for them but for their fancy curly hair or strong logical thinking or whatever other qualities they may have ordered. Children may also see all of their victories and achievements as built-in functions instead of personal talents, which can cause severe problems with self-esteem.
We haven’t even mentioned the human equality and diversity issue that can be put into serious question when creating people to meet certain standards. It could increase racist sentiments, moving people a few centuries back to the question of making everyone equal and appreciated. People will get divided into “perfectly designed” and “randomly born and semi-quality,” like the markets are divided into mass-market and luxury products. Will a person’s life become a product or a service? Will we have a “natural lives matter” demonstration?
Should It Scare Us?
Perhaps.
The only real fear that we may have here is the worry of new class divisions that could be a huge problem and a major step back for civilization. Another issue is the belief that the planet’s population should be artificially modernized and “sorted out” with the use of genetic technologies, which is strongly associated with Hitler’s racist and nationalist actions and views.
Still, “destroying unperfect” and “trying to make perfect” are different notions. Genetic science doesn’t attempt to hurt naturally born people; rather, it aims to help people bear healthier children with strong systems and advanced skills.
At the end of the day, it’s up to us to decide whether we want to “create” a baby or bear it. As long as this technology doesn’t do any physical damage to anyone, it could have the right to exist. Moreover, genetic developments have helped many couples find out whether their potential children are inclined to any genetic deceases and impairments, which has prevented many couples from bringing suffering babies to life.
Random is not always the best option. We can hope for the best, but the reality can differ greatly from our expectations. A child is not a toy or a pet. It’s a person, a liability for life. Having assurance beforehand that the baby is going to live a healthy life doesn’t seem so bad. What about people who already have a genetic condition? Are they not allowed to have babies? They would be the first to use the technology because no parent on Earth wants their child to have health issues.
The concept of making healthy children doesn’t mean that babies born with some abnormalities don’t deserve to be loved. They will still be loved despite everything. Wanting a child to have a better life and better health is not a crime. It’s normal, and society should accept it.
