Aditya Das | Week 16: Is our Memory ours?
Photo Credit: 686 × 386
As the digital age begins to engulf us in its mystique, the line between reality and imagination gets ever so blurred. The world around us begins to look like the enormously large glass slabs, which we place in our pockets, the dystopian land Orwell had preached of.
In all this chaos, as we get to technology almost fusing with us to become one disheveled amalgam, the concern of our memories and thoughts must be taken seriously.
For instance, imagine if Virtual Reality devices get so good that we can’t tell what real is apart from what is digital and fake. This could lead to people living in the real world as though they were in the virtual world.
Our thought ideas and subconscious as well as memories would be rewritten according to the assumption that both must be the exact something. There may be many benefits, but there could be dire consequences as well.
If someone were to think that they were in the virtual world and pick up a gun to play a shooter game it would be fine, but if that happened in the real world due to the distinction not being able to be made then it would lead to aimless bloodshed and death.
As the fascination towards people becoming cyborgs that would be able to exceed the capabilities of regular humans gains momentum, companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink and others try to get us closer to a future with chips in our head like the terminator. There are concerns that arise from this like the fact that it might allow outsiders to encroach upon our mental real estate, goes as far as extracting or even altering our past memories.
These vulnerabilities bring about an issue that becomes more imperative to address each passing day – technological innovations impair basic human function, to a point where our humanity gets called into question. As technology becomes pervasive in the community we are subjected to the vagaries of the ruling tech oligarch. Do we trust this apathetic sect of royalty?
Hi, Aditya! I was intrigued the minute I read your title and I can say right now that your blog did not disappoint! I really appreciate how your blogs always include uniquely worded descriptions like the “digital age…[engulfing] us in its mystique.” These phrases add a lot of personality to your writing style and just make the blog-reading experience so much more enjoyable as it helps immerse the reader into the topic at hand. I find the idea of technology being able to take over such a vital role in our lives equally fascinating and disturbing. On one hand, it is amazing that humans have progressed so far in terms of globalization and scientific advancements—but at what cost. I understand the value of scientific knowledge, especially when it comes to medicines and developments of that sort, but at what point is it too much? I see the benefit to technology like VR, as I have heard about it being successfully implemented in certain therapies, but to fully immerse themselves in the VR world and not always be able to differentiate the two worlds? I think I agree that this would mainly just have “dire consequences.” I extend this hesitation to technologies like chips in our heads. I presume that people with certain medical conditions might see some value to this, but again I question whether that is truly the right step for the future. While I’m not one for denying the value of progress, I do sometimes think about how society would benefit from connecting back to our roots a bit more. Thank you for your post this week and throughout the semester; they have always sparked the most interesting conversations.
ReplyDeleteHi Aditya! Your blog this week is fascinating, as usual! Did you make the image with generative ai? It has that glossy look. Back on topic, to be honest, I highly doubt that worries will come to fruition. Certainly a small minority will take up implants and artificial devices, but the vast majority likely will not. You already see a the stepping stones of these devices in the new Meta glasses or the various ai pins that were recently released. However, these devices fail to catch on, in large parts thanks to their absurd price tag and the simple fact that we have phones. Unless this technology becomes incredibly advanced and easy to use, phones will, more often than not, be the more convent choice for many people. Why pay more for something that can do less? Crazy technology like the stuff you mention will probably become wide spread, but I don’t see it happening for a couple of decades. I love seeing your different perspective on this! And the idea that it could rewrite our memories is terrifying. Nonetheless, I'm excited to see what the future will hold.
ReplyDeleteHi Aditya! I was confused as to what your title meant but as I read your blog more and more I understood exactly what you were trying to convey. I have actually had instances where I had to identify whether videos on social media were made from ai or were actual videos and personally I think that is quite scary. This blog is extremely thought-provoking and it makes me wonder whether humanity is moving in the right direction. As AI is becoming more efficient and powerful, other human functions and abilities are diminishing at a rapid pace. We see it when we look at companies firing workers. Many people are losing jobs because certain industries are being taken over by AI. People are struggling as a result of AI development and it is only going to get worse. It is honestly frightening to try to think about what society is going to be like in the next 15 minutes. Overall I liked this blog because it made me think about what is going to happen in the future and whether humans are harming the future. Thank you very much for sharing this blog and being such a great member of our blog.
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