The technology behind human beings

Human beings have a dual nature as good and bad are merged together. As much as we would like, we can never become perfect. This is the same way that all our creations are made, with both good and bad parts. So, is technology the evil that will destroy our planet? No, because there are no completely bad or completely good technological advances, only shades of gray…

Apparently, many people understand that technology is needed. However, what we are most afraid is that soon we will build intelligent machines that will destroy us or, at least, control everything we do. That is one of the leading arguments of Kaczynski in his manifesto against technology. But he is not the sole person who predicts such a bleak future. Personally, I find it ironic that we are afraid of robots that could think and talk just like a human being, but we do not even consider the harm that our dependence on smartphones, social networks, and Internet, could cause. I think this second scenario is more dangerous (and more relevant at present) because we do not even realize there exists something else leading our lives.

What Kaczynski proposes is the return to the wild. Nevertheless, going back to a primitive stage will only trigger another cycle of evolution. It is in our nature to strive for something important. There is no other way. If we all set goals that we could easily achieve, what would we do next? A life of boredom. It is true that we often complain we have too much to do, but can you imagine not doing anything meaningful for years? This is how we, as humans, function.

Yes, in our quest for greatness, we can go as far as to build machines that are smarter than us and that will try to take us down. But once we realize this, we will fight for our freedom. One beautiful thing of being a human is that when chained, we always strive to break loose. After all, we are the most complex creatures and the artificial machines are just tools that we have created to assist us. If there is a change in the natural poles of power, we will fight back for supremacy.

So, human beings are flawed. But our flaws make us unique and help us survive. I am probably too optimistic but it is simply because I enjoy technology, or, at least, the good parts of technology. I also believe that this digitized world makes us appreciate more the nature. After a day in front of a computer, surrounded by noise, I feel the need to go out and breathe.