Over the course so far, we’ve focused on understanding how technology emerges - and recombines. You’ve learned about the frameworks you can use to make sense of a new type of tech and how you can put that technology to use.
But is technology always a good thing? What pitfalls should you look for when it comes to emerging technology? How do you make sense of that?
In this chapter, we’re going to explore just that - and ask how technology affects culture and what are the cybersecurity implications of new technologies.
Understand How Technology Affects Culture
Earlier in the course, way back in Part 2, Chapter 3, we looked at the theory of fragmentation. In the process, you saw how the invention of the printing press, in combination with the commoditization of gunpowder, acted as a catalyst that led to dramatic social change in the fifteenth century:
The undermining of the authority of the Catholic Church.
The Protestant Reformation.
The emergence of Modern Science.
The creation of entirely new occupations, professions, and industries.
A change in our perception of childhood, social order, and prosperity.
Even as we have started to use robots and AI to accelerate and transform the development of innovations, technology remains fundamentally human.
After all, what is technology? It’s applying knowledge through tools and techniques to change our environment.
In other words, technology’s purpose is to augment our natural capabilities: it is human to its core!
In today’s societies worldwide, there is an ongoing debate about the positive and negative impact of new technologies on society and culture.
As an illustration, consider some of the questions that have emerged around autonomous vehicles (AVs).
On the positive side, AVs have several interesting possibilities, including:
Fewer vehicles on the roads. A report in the late 2010s from investment bank UBS predicted a 70% decline in private vehicle ownership as AVs operating through ride-hailing apps remove the value of having your own car. When you consider that most people’s cars sit unused for as much as 95% of the time, this makes a lot more sense! And think about the environmental impact that factor alone suggests.
Improvements in road safety. The UK’s Department for Transport states that 85% of road traffic accidents result from human error.
On the other hand, there are legitimate concerns about the negative implications of AVs, as well:
Privacy impact. As demonstrated by a controversial blog post published by Uber back in 2014, there is a valid privacy concern attached to the idea of ride-hailing services providing AVs. Three years later, Uber ended the practice, but at the time, they’d boasted of seeing where most one-night stands took place.
Ethical dilemma/paradox. Who should the AI save — the pedestrian or the passenger? What other circumstances should be taken into account? As reported by Nature.com, there are some big questions to consider. Audi reported a survey that said people would prefer the AI to save the pedestrian at the expense of the passengers but would be less likely to buy an AV that was programmed that way.
Discover Emerging Cybersecurity Concerns
We’ve already touched on the question of privacy above - cybersecurity is closely related.
In late 2022, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity published a report outlining the threats likely to emerge through the rest of the 2020s, as illustrated below:
Some of these are directly linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The precursor to Russia’s attack was a coordinated cyber-attack designed to knock out Ukrainian resistance and force the political regime there to collapse, losing the population’s confidence.
That approach failed mainly because Ukraine positioned what Sir Jeremy Fleming, director of Britain’s GCHQ, described as “arguably…the most effective defensive cyber-activity in history”.
It is clear that emerging technology will play a role in future conflicts, whether it gets to the stage of war or not. This also implies a significant increase in defense research funding around the globe.
To learn more about cybersecurity, let’s hear from an expert! Ayoub Elaassal is head of security at Qonto for over two and a half years. At Qonto he has helped build their cybersecurity team, as well as their cybersecurity practices.
Post-quantum cryptography is one of the emerging factors in the ever-escalating battleground of cybersecurity.
Again, remember the chapter on quantum computing (Part 3, Chapter 1). As you saw there, quantum computers can solve huge computational problems much faster than conventional supercomputers, thanks to qubits that consider all possible answers simultaneously, rather than just faster and faster number crunching.
Be Curious, Be Skeptical
As you navigate the world of emerging technology, there are two qualities that we recommend you balance: curiosity and skepticism.
Curiosity is always valuable - keep an open mind and eyes on the world of technology. Look for the technologies’ research, investment, and recombination patterns with existing tech.
But at the same time, apply your critical thinking to the promises of innovators. Remain a little bit skeptical. Be attentive to others’ motivations and self-interest!
For example, consider the case of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), which launched in 2021. To join the BAYC, table stakes were buying an NFT of one of 10,000 APE that lived on the Ethereum crypto platform. The baseline cost of an APE was 0.08 ETH, so converting the price into conventional currency will depend on the value of Ethereum at the time.
In January 2022, singer Justin Bieber paid $1.3 million for APE #3001 - later dismissed as being “not very special” - in other words, lacking standout individual characteristics. By November 2022, eleven months later, his APE was worth just $69,800.
He was not alone in the crash, and at the time of writing, there is speculation as to who was behind the market surge and subsequent loss of value - this Vanity Fair article sums up some of the hype nicely.
Variety reported a lawsuit filed in December 2022 that highlighted some claims (not proven at the time of writing).
The complaint states that there are more than 103,000 unique account holders of Yuga securities — which includes the Bored Ape offshoot Mutant Ape Club; the Metaverse “Otherside,” which offered virtual land sales; and the token ApeCoin — of which Yuga receives a 2.5% royalty rate “every time one of its NFTs is resold on the secondary market.”
What this cautionary tale illustrates is that, whatever the intentions of the original innovator, it is possible for bad actors to come in and misuse or pervert the original intent.
Let’s Recap!
In this chapter, we highlighted the benefit of balancing your curiosity with a little skepticism, keeping an open mind, and always considering the motivations of the people who are presenting you with an area of emerging technology.
Technology is essentially human: it exists to augment human capabilities.
Any emerging technology has the potential to create a cultural or societal impact, just as the printing press (in combination with the commoditization of gunpowder) shook the foundations of fifteenth-century Europe.
Consider the ethical implications of how any emerging technologies are deployed.
Cybersecurity is increasingly under the spotlight, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine showing how a cyber battle can underpin armed conflict.
Post-quantum cryptography is gaining increasing attention as QC threatens to undermine existing data security standards.
What are potential problems, roadblocks, or concerns for the technologies you are considering? Give this some thought, then join me in the next chapter when we’ll tie the threads together of our course.
