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Coping in the 4th Revolution
Coping in the 4th industrial Revolution
The debate of the merger of man and machine being compatible , mutually exclusive or machines being a malevolent and menacing threat rages on . Is technology that merges with human interface advisable , a natural evolution of mankind ? If so , who places the moral / ethical boundaries and guards the privacy , dignity and vulnerability of the public interest ?
Klaus Schwab further states that “ When compared with previous industrial revolutions , the Fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than a linear pace . Moreover , it is disrupting almost every industry in every country . And the breadth and depth of these changes herald the transformation of entire
systems of production , management , and governance .”
We cover 4 hot topics that demand attention as the fourth industrial revolution rolls out across the globe . These areas if not sensitively and sensibly handled could cause irreversible problems for humanity : Artificial Intelligence , Eugenics , Drones and Neural Lace .
Artificial & internet of things
Artificial Intelligence & internet of things
“ The possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices , with unprecedented processing power , storage capacity , and access to knowledge , are
unlimited . And these possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence , robotics , the Internet of
Things , autonomous vehicles , 3-D printing , nanotechnology , biotechnology , materials science , energy storage , and quantum computing .” [ 1 ]
Is it ethical or harmful to humans ? Is it a threat to human existence as we know it ? Elon Musk The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has started yet another company , Neuralink , which aims to make implants for the human brain that can wirelessly interface with a computer , the Wall Street Journal reported today . 9 / 26 / 17
The technology , according to Musk , who brought up the idea at Recode ’ s Code Conference last year , is a “ digital layer ” located above the cortex , built into the brain . Musk calls the technology , which would intertwine computers and the
Neural Lace
human brain , “ neural lace .”
“ Neural lace could help humans keep apace with rapidly accelerating advancements in artificial intelligence , which Musk said will cause humanity to “ be left behind by a lot .” With the help of brain implants that are directly linked to computers , humans may be able to improve their brain function , or even one day download their thoughts or upload the thinking of others . In the more near term , neural lace technology could be used to treat brain diseases like epilepsy or Parkinson ’ s .” [ 2 ]
A group of chemists and engineers who work with nanotechnology published a paper this month in Nature Nanotechnology about an ultra-fine mesh that can merge into the brain to create what appears to be a seamless interface between machine and biological circuitry . Called “ mesh electronics ,” the device is so thin and supple that it can be injected with a needle they ’ ve already tested it on mice , who survived the implantation and are thriving . If executed , neural laces could impact neurodegenerative disease detection and cellular biology . [ 3 ]
[ 1 ] weforum . org / agenda / 2016 / 01 / the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond / [ 2 ] recode . net / 2017 / 3 / 27 / 15079226 / elon-musk-computers-technology-brain-ai-artificial-intelligence-neural-lace [ 3 ] recode . net / 2016 / 6 / 2 / 11837544 / elon-musk-neural-lace
14 | SHARE | MAGAZINE October - December 2017