5 Horrifying Emerging Technology Trends that will Shake You!
Original Source - https://towardsdatascience.com/5-horrifying-emerging-technology-trends-that-will-shake-you-c7150c1f7eac
All of us from across the globe live in a world where life would be callous without technology. We enjoy the perks and conveniences that new and emerging technologies are consistently bringing to us. These technologies do have a positive impact on the way we live, function, and move forward within our everyday lives.
However, having said all that, have you ever imagined that these new emerging technologies also have the potential to wreck it all? The possible negative impact and the potential misuse of these technologies could be dangerous. Very dangerous!
Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master — Christian Lous Lange.
Listed below are five of the most menacing technology trends in the future.
Drone Swarms
Do you know what ‘Drone Swarms’ are? To be precise, Drone swarms are a fleet of unmanned platforms or objects, equipped with high-class artillery, and will be used to achieve a shared objective. The catch here is, these drones would radically alter their behaviors based on their communication with each other.
Although Drone Swarms can be of immense potential when we talk about keeping checks across the line of control, or when there is a need for a mass search rescue mission, but, the concept of these advanced machines, equipped with sophisticated weapons of mass destruction, being able to “think” for themselves could turn out to be cannon fodder!
Even though the negative possibilities of such drone swarms are unimaginable, Military intel’s across the globe will eventually are going to deploy these drones in the near future.
Smart Home Devices That Spy
Are you looking to buy that smart speaker this Christmas? Well, think again! Ever thought how these smart home devices respond to your queries? What sort of algorithm do they use? Smart home devices, in order to respond to you, listen and track your behavior and habits.
It is essential to understand that whenever you add a smart home device to your address, primarily connected to the internet, you are allowing a spy inside your house.
Now, what sort of data can these smart devices collect from you and your address? Majorly, these spying home devices collect your routine information such as your viewing history on video streaming platforms, your home address, what route do you take to get home, and also, what time do you generally come back home. Phewww! That is not cool.
As a tech enthusiast, I agree that these technological advancements make our lives a lot more comfortable and relaxed. Still, it is essential to understand that very same technology could also be used for abuse!
I am pretty sure that your smart home devices work with a word like “ok google” or something of that sort, but don’t you think it is possible that your device interprets another word that you say, as it’s wake-up word and start collecting data, that you probably don’t want it to have? Any smart device at your condos such as smart TVs or home assistants could be the entry point for abuse of your personal information.
Facial Recognition for Surveillance
I can’t deny the fact that facial recognition is an instrumental technology, and has been adopted by companies across various sectors, but do you realize that it can be, or rather, it is being used for surveillance purposes!
Imagine the gloomy possibilities that this hi-tech technology could bring with it for somebody with an evil mind and who understands the functionality of facial recognition. Who knows, maybe your smartphone with social and trending mobile apps is scrutinizing you!
These technologies are meant to make this world a better place to live in and as long as we make sure that it’s not vice-versa, we are good to go!
AI Cloning
What’s your take on artificial intelligence? Do you know that AI can be developed using React? Are you aware of what AI cloning is? AI cloning involves deep learning algorithms making it possible to manipulate already existing images, audios, and videos! Artificial technology is undoubtedly one of the most promising emerging technologies of this era!
However, the thought that it can clone existing stills and videos and manipulate them for destruction or as false evidence in many verticals is surely something we don’t want to get involved with. Today, creating an artificial “you” is not something that is difficult or farfetched. The results are so accurate that it is challenging to find out whether the clone is real or fake!
Artificial intelligence cloning does not require a lot of raw data to manufacture fake or fraud videos. Just think about it. How many images and videos of you are scattered over the internet? Don’t you think that you are at risk of AI cloning?
These technologies, if not regulated over time, could turn out to be technologies of mass destruction.
Smart Dust Technology
Smart dust devices are minute wireless devices in the shape and size of a sand grain, making them absolutely untrackable. These devices are facilitated with sensors and cameras, and they have the potential to record absolutely anything that you want it to!
The technology is a revolution as the benefits it brings with it are beyond imagination. The use of smart dust devices in the medical field and military could be one of the greatest assets to them, but what if the devices are in the wrong hands? Think about it?
Spying on enemies from across borders to safeguard the interest of the nation could be counted as a positive of this technology. But at the same time, given in the wrong hands, these devices have the potential to invade inside your houses entirely eradicating your privacy!
Lethal Autonomous Robots
Yes, I am talking about real-life autonomous terminators! Do you know that over 5 countries are already working on developing autonomous robots with the intent of using them for combat? I’m sure this sounds really cool, but is it really that cool? Think about it.
Feed ‘Kill’ in the machine and that becomes its only motive. Also, who will take the onus that these lethal robots won’t get in the wrong hands? It is important to channelize the technology in the right direction. Robotic process automation is expected to have a huge positive impact on businesses in 2020, but only if it’s utilized ethically.
Once this technology is developed, just like everything else in the world, it will be out for sale. Although it’s obvious that it’ll sell for millions of dollars, the point is, IT CAN BE SOLD!
Tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft have already come up with prototypes of such terminator robots! Yes, we all use machines to make life easy and the only way you can hurt because of them is an accident! With these smart robots, that’s not the case. These robots are fed with instructions to ‘kill’ or ‘harm.’ And what if these robots get hacked? Technology is hackable, right?
I am sure it’s not that difficult to find a smarter way of using new and emerging technologies!
Technology is meant to make life simple, but it is imperative to make sure that these technologies are used only for good. The dangerous misuse of technology needs to stop, and it needs to stop now!
Neil Postman once said — The effects of technology are always unpredictable. But they are not always inevitable.
