KICKER: Caution
Technology should only be used when necessary
While technology has become part of our daily lives, we cannot blame it for our own mistakes. At the end of the day, it is you as an individual that takes the decision to use it, and whether or not you use it accordingly is some-thing that can be discussed. It would be unfair to blame technology and its developers for our mistakes as no app is made to cause destruction. A significant number of accidents are caused by people using their mobile phones, thus not paying enough attention, but you cannot blame the maker of that specific phone for your very own ignorance. As human beings, we love putting the blame on someone else, and rarely stand for our actions, likewise, I am not surprised that people would rather put the blame on technology than to simply admit their wrongs.
With the introduction of technology, our lives have become so much easier and rather than spending all our time and effort on a simple task, there are machines that can do that for us. However, in some cases, we have taken technology too far and an example of that would be the introduction of robots to care for our elders, which can be found in Japan. While I understand the reasoning for doing so, it is simply a case of technology gone too far.
Yes, we should delegate most of our tasks to technology, but only where it is necessary. However, when it comes to taking care of our very own people, it is simply not feasible. While the invention itself is inspiring and points at how far evolution of the human brain has come, it is an effort put to waste. Artificial intelligence can do a lot, and it can mimic human speech and actions, but whether or not it is morally right to let a robot care for our elders is to be discussed. Personally, I do not see the point in that.
From Mr Hamad Al Marzouqi
Acquisition specialist based in Dubai
KICKER: Harm
Technology does more harm than good
Technology and new inventions have helped people conquer new heights and improve their lifestyle drastically. Things that were considered a herculean task in the past, like travelling, communication or even locating a place, are now simpler, faster and easier. With the click of a button you can connect to a person miles away in seconds, move to the highest floor of a skyscraper, enter a car without a key or search for any topic on the internet.
You can trace and find a lost friend or relative. You can also use Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate a particular place. We also have driverless trains and cars will soon be added.
Medical science, too, has seen drastic changes. With the invention of various devices, we are not able to detect diseases early, thereby giving people timely treatment and saving lives.
While we rave about the positive ideas of growth in technology, we cannot forget the negative impacts too. With the increase in use of mobile phones, we have seen an alarming increase in accidents on the road as people get engrossed in texting or taking selfies. High efficiency cars increase the speed and this results in fatal accidents, and in such cases ignorance overrides technology.
Highly sophisticated cars can get stuck in the middle of the road due to technical glitches. We have also read about failed cruise control accidents, to which some might have survived due to the timely invention of rescue forces, while others died. Air planes, too, can develop snags and this can cause delays or crashes. We have seen the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2001 in Russia, Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, sinking of Titanic in 1912 and the disappearance of MH320 are only few examples of failed technology.
However, we need to keep in mind that we cannot solely rely on technology - human intervention will always be needed. Technology is a necessary evil and if it is not implemented properly, it can cause more harm than good.
From Mr Elias Eappen
Logistics manager based in Dubai
KICKER: Automation
We can’t delegate all chores to machines
The fact that technology can make our live easier, tempts us to harness it more than required. I’ve learnt at home and in school that just as a coin has two sides, technology too, has two faces — that of a boon and a bane. It is up to us to choose the right side. As we become too dependent on technology, we often forget that technology is as imperfect as the humans who created it. When we blindly follow technology, we often become oblivious of the reality around us, which often leads to unwanted mishaps. Nowadays, we place our full trust in the Global Positioning System (GPS) and blindly follow its guidance. However, it sometimes gets too late when we realise that the roads have changed or there have been some changes in the traffic that the GPS can’t detect, and we fall into trouble.
So many chores that require hard human labour to be accomplished can now be easily accomplished with the aid of machines; but not all chores. Certain chores like looking after people, including children or adults cannot be performed by machines that lack emotions and all those abstractions that are unique to humans, though they’re created by human hands.
The genesis of humanoids and cyborgs has made it possible for these species of machines to replace humans at homes, schools and offices etc. However, the flexibility of humans can never be replaced by a machine in my opinion. Also, as seen in Isaac Asimov’s stories, a machine, though it can make life easier, it can also make it harder if something goes wrong. If all chores are delegated to machines and we become so used to the automation around us, just imagine how hard it will be to go back to a manual life if all the machines, all of a sudden, decide to go on a strike.
From Ms Maria Vincent
Student based in Dubai
KICKER: Fulfilling lives
Technology cannot be blamed for our mishaps, as human beings are prone to errors too
We cannot blame technology for our mishaps, as it is more about our adaptation to it. Anything can be used in a manner that it might not have been designed for, however, that does not make it the fault of the creator. For example, a gun manufacturer cannot be blamed if the gun is used for criminal activities. In a similar fashion, technological companies cannot be at fault if their products aren’t used according to their terms of service. Most recently, a teenager got into a car accident for using Snapchat while driving, and while the app does have a filter that measures your speed, it does not mean that it was designed for using while driving. It could be used by runner for example, and despite warning its users from snapping while driving, they cannot stop users from doing so. Considering that, we cannot blame technology for our lack of safe and sensible manners.
However, I definitely think that we should delegate all physical work to machines. If we think about the evolution of humans before industrialization, all our efforts went towards our basic needs – sourcing food to survive. Then, once we managed to organize agriculture, we were finally able to explore other venues, including arts. Judging from evolution and how we have changed, there are a lot of things that we would not have been able to focus at, like arts, had our only aim been to source food for survival. It is very similar now in various work sectors in which so much time and effort is invested in doing tasks, which might as well have been done by a machine. Technology helps us live fulfilling lives, and it allows us to have hobbies, rather than just working to pay the bills. Artificial intelligence has done a lot for us, and without it, society would be very different.
Looking at the introduction of self-driving cars, it is definitely a way forward and something that I hope to see in the UAE sooner rather than later. There are people who spend two to three hours simply just getting to and from the office on a daily basis, and that is definitely not a productive use of time. In the same amount of time, we could be focusing on doing other more important things – at the end of the day we have to look at it from an economical cost and not just a social cost. If an employee will spend two hours stuck in a car, he or she will not be as fresh as he or she would be, had they not been in the driver seat, thus affecting their performance. With that in mind, the introduction to driver-less cars would help a lot in terms of productivity. I do not fear the introduction of such cars at all as I think it will add to the betterment of society – reducing traffic and accidents.
We cannot always blame everything on technology, human beings are prone to errors, too, and we need to keep in mind that technology keeps developing. Looking at the series of accidents in the aviation sector – they were all cause by a human element as opposed to technological failure, whether it was suicide or pilot exhaustion.
Now, with the introduction of self-driving cars, we need to introduce proper laws and regulations as it is a new and explosive technology. In case of an accident, who will take the responsibility – the manufacturer, insurance company, passenger or owner of the car? These are all issues that need to be addressed.
Hamza R.
Business owner based in Sharjah
— Compiled by Donia Yassinson/Community Web Editor