This final blog post on the thread of emerging technologies will hopefully tie all of the previous threads together. One can clearly understand that there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future, but there are also things that ought to provoke anxiety in the minds of readers. There are wildly different opinions on the impact of emerging technologies on humanity as a whole. Brett King takes a very optimistic view, while others remain a bit more skeptical. I located an article from Forbes that provides some excellent closing thoughts about emerging technologies and the possibilities that exist in the future. The author, Samantha Radocchia, is a blockchain (another emerging technology!) entrepreneur. She argues that a human element is needed when developing these new technologies, even if a human element is not required for the technology to function. I think that this is an important takeaway. Humans (generally speaking) will always need interaction with other human beings. Practically speaking, humans will always be needed to manage and control any new technologies as well as to continue taking care of humans. Human creativity will always be in demand. Within the classroom, students need to understand this basic principle. Humans society is beautiful because it is comprised of human beings! Robots cannot take away our nature and our deepest longings. However, I do think that society will need to adapt to this new future. The United States in particular may need to adjust to the economic conditions created by these new technologies. Ideas like universal basic income, universal healthcare for all, mandatory (and free) postsecondary education and infrastructure improvements may gain traction. Hopefully, technology can help us move towards a better future. As long as we are thoughtful about our use of technology, the transition to a “smart society” should be seamless. Hopefully we can preserve our humanity while still having a technology based society in the future.
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