Why The Future Doesn T Need Us Analysis

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Report: Why the Future Doesn't Need Us

In “Why the Future Doesn't Need Us”, Bill Joy highlights the potential threats genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR) have to the future of humanity and the morality required of society when using these technologies. He points to our appetite for innovation and our inability to recognize the dangers of what we are creating. He stresses concern over the commercial availability of GNR technologies in comparison to nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons which require elaborate facilities and inaccessible materials to manufacture. Furthermore, creation and use of NBC technologies requires conscious human intervention whereas, to him, the dangers of creating something through GNR
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In his concluding thoughts however, he expresses confidence that “...we will confront the dangerous issues now before us.” Assessing Joy's writing style, it is clear the article is written to convince people of his view. His use of carefully chosen passages from well known individuals who share his views, allow him to present his vision of the future as a valid scenario. This is crucial as it prevents people from dismissing the article as an imaginative piece. Also, by including details of his accomplishments in life, he strengthens his argument by reassuring the reader that he is not a newcomer to the field, but someone who understands the power of technology. However, it's worth noting that throughout the article Joy tends to jump to doomsday scenarios assuming that everything that could go wrong, will go wrong unless people consciously work to prevent it. This assumption is rather pessimistic and without compelling evidence and little consideration of the opposite sides' view, the persuasiveness of his argument is weakened. His technological background makes one imagine him to at least dive into