118
6 A Planetary-Scale Threat
would make people manageable like things, machines, or data—and thereby violate
their human dignity. Such proposals remind of chipping animals or marking inmates
with tattoos—and some of the darkest chapters of human history.
Another technology mentioned in connection with the concept of “cashless society” is blockchain technology. It would serve as a registry of transactions, which
could certainly help to fight crime and corruption, if reasonably used.
Depending on how such a cashless society would be managed, one could either
have a free market or totalitarian control of consumption. Using powerful algorithms,
one could manage purchases in real-time. For example, one could determine who
can buy what, and who will get what service. Hence, the system may not be much
different from the Citizen Score.
For example, if your CO 2 tracing indicated a big climate footprint, your attempted
car rental or flight booking may be cancelled. If you were a few days late paying
your rent, you might not even be able to open the door of your home (assuming it
has an electronic lock).
In times of COVID-19, where many people are in a danger of losing their jobs
and homes, such a system sounds quite brutal and scary. If we don’t regulate such
applications of digital technologies quickly, a data-driven and AI-controlled society
with automated enforcement based on algorithmic policing could violate democratic
principles and human rights quite dramatically.
6.13 Reading and Controlling Minds
If you think what I reported above is already bad enough and it could not get worse, I
have to disappoint you. Disruptive technology might even go some steps further. For
example, the “U.S. administration’s most prominent science initiative, first unveiled
in 2013”
56 aimed at developing new technologies for exploring the brain. The 3
billion Dollar initiative wanted “to deepen understanding of the inner workings of
the human mind and to improve how we treat, prevent, and cure disorders of the
brain”.
57
How would it work? In the abstract of a research paper
58 we read: “Nanoscience
and nanotechnology are poised to provide a rich toolkit of novel methods to explore
brain function by enabling simultaneous measurement and manipulation of activity
of thousands or even millions of neurons. We and others refer to this goal as the
Brain Activity Mapping Project.”
56 Rewriting Life: Obama’s Brain Project Backs Neurotechnology, MIT Technology Review
(September 30, 2014), https://www.technologyreview.com/2014/09/30/171099/obamas-brain-pro
ject-backs-neurotechnology/.
57 The BRAIN Initiative Mission, https://www.braininitiative.org/mission/. (accessed on July 31,
2020).
58 Alivisatos et al. [10].
6 A Planetary-Scale Threat
would make people manageable like things, machines, or data—and thereby violate
their human dignity. Such proposals remind of chipping animals or marking inmates
with tattoos—and some of the darkest chapters of human history.
Another technology mentioned in connection with the concept of “cashless society” is blockchain technology. It would serve as a registry of transactions, which
could certainly help to fight crime and corruption, if reasonably used.
Depending on how such a cashless society would be managed, one could either
have a free market or totalitarian control of consumption. Using powerful algorithms,
one could manage purchases in real-time. For example, one could determine who
can buy what, and who will get what service. Hence, the system may not be much
different from the Citizen Score.
For example, if your CO 2 tracing indicated a big climate footprint, your attempted
car rental or flight booking may be cancelled. If you were a few days late paying
your rent, you might not even be able to open the door of your home (assuming it
has an electronic lock).
In times of COVID-19, where many people are in a danger of losing their jobs
and homes, such a system sounds quite brutal and scary. If we don’t regulate such
applications of digital technologies quickly, a data-driven and AI-controlled society
with automated enforcement based on algorithmic policing could violate democratic
principles and human rights quite dramatically.
6.13 Reading and Controlling Minds
If you think what I reported above is already bad enough and it could not get worse, I
have to disappoint you. Disruptive technology might even go some steps further. For
example, the “U.S. administration’s most prominent science initiative, first unveiled
in 2013”
56 aimed at developing new technologies for exploring the brain. The 3
billion Dollar initiative wanted “to deepen understanding of the inner workings of
the human mind and to improve how we treat, prevent, and cure disorders of the
brain”.
57
How would it work? In the abstract of a research paper
58 we read: “Nanoscience
and nanotechnology are poised to provide a rich toolkit of novel methods to explore
brain function by enabling simultaneous measurement and manipulation of activity
of thousands or even millions of neurons. We and others refer to this goal as the
Brain Activity Mapping Project.”
56 Rewriting Life: Obama’s Brain Project Backs Neurotechnology, MIT Technology Review
(September 30, 2014), https://www.technologyreview.com/2014/09/30/171099/obamas-brain-pro
ject-backs-neurotechnology/.
57 The BRAIN Initiative Mission, https://www.braininitiative.org/mission/. (accessed on July 31,
2020).
58 Alivisatos et al. [10].