The downside of technology

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I’m doing some research for a blog on the downside of technology, and I came across this video from Reuters :

Neuralink, neurotechnology company co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016. is scheduled to begin HUMAN trials in 6 months.
This video is from December 2022, so they’re looking to start using these in humans by this summer.
I don’t know about you guys, but the concerns about the ethical implications of such technology, particularly with regards to privacy, security, and the potential for misuse or abuse are just so evident here.
Yes, I get it, Neuralink’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of neurotechnology and bring about significant advances in the treatment of neurological disorders and the development of human-machine interfaces. but I’m more than a little apprehensive about this. YIKES

As with any new technology, there is always the risk of unintended consequences. Neuralink’s technology has the potential to collect highly sensitive data about a person’s thoughts and behavior. If this data falls into the wrong hands, it could be used for nefarious purposes. Additionally, it could also raise ethical questions about the nature of human identity, autonomy, and agency. For example, if a person’s thoughts and actions can be influenced or controlled by external devices, how do we define concepts such as free will and responsibility?

What do you guys think about this?

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I wrote once about free will vs. determinism in a commentary about “consent training” in dogs. The same applies to humans. The last three years showed how behavior modification techniques work, and omitting crucial information was easy. Adding a device to it with a “helping” premise seems to be the natural path of things. Don’t you see the number of news things implemented quickly for us (and our brains) to digest? IA, IoT, Implants, etc.

However, people should know ALL the consequences of having something in their brains that other humans can control.

Let’s give a practical example of what we already know about brain control techniques:

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This is something that also goes into the “what could possible go wrong” bucket.
I think in situations like these, we should always look at the worst case scenario & debate whether we are willing to live with this “worst case scenario.”

This is how I approach any decision I make.

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