Great consideration has been given to those who hold a positive view of the emerging technologies that are permeating our society. I want to give consideration to some other viewpoints that exist other than the extremely optimistic viewpoint and the cautiously optimistic viewpoint. After all, anyone who pays the slightest attention to the news knows about the controversy surrounding 3-D printing (another emerging technology) that dominated the news. 3-D printing permits individuals with high-end 3-D printers to print anything that they can create or find online. The issue is that functional guns can be printed from files that already exist. These guns are not traceable, and they can’t be regulated. Given our nation’s troubled history of gun violence, ordinary citizens should be concerned by this development. With new introduction of new technologies, new regulations and societal adaptations will be required to address ethical problems that may arise. If this isn’t scary enough, consider the fact that many influential figures think that a Terminator scenario is unavoidable in the future. If AI becomes smart enough to run and upgrade itself, why is there a reason to believe that a robot wouldn’t think to get rid of humanity? Even before we reach this scenario, there is also the possibility of social unrest stemming from drastic disruptions in the economy and the growing income inequality that will happen as a result. Income inequality because of technology is already clearly visible in places like San Francisco where the price of housing has become unaffordable. We should also not forget the privacy issues that accompany having technology everywhere. Whether it is an Orwellian government, a company that wants your money, or an enterprising hacker, privacy issues and security will continue to be problems that need to be addressed.
How does all of this negativity enter into the classroom? Perhaps this is more of an indirect consequence of implementing new technologies, but educators will need to be cognizant of social changes that occur with the implementation of these new technologies. 3-D printers already exist in many schools, and students are generally aware of their socioeconomic status. Students should be introduced to ethical dilemmas and controversial issues. Digital citizenship also needs to play a role in education as it will inform how students interact with technology. A good digital citizen knows what questions to ask as it pertains to privacy. A good digital citizen also knows how to adapt to a changing technological landscape. As a society, we need to be ready (inside and outside of the classroom) to address any issues that may be associated with these new technologies.
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