Shutterstock
Everyone knows that the use of technology is getting out of hand. Sure, tech has brought an immeasurable amount of good to our lives in the last several decades, there is no doubt about that. Almost everyone, however, also agrees that there are some significant dangers and other downsides with it that we should all be aware of.
University of Calgary Sociology professor, Dean Curran, recently wrote a piece in The Conversation about this concept, and he says that the data is very clear. The world is headed toward a cyber dystopia, and unfortunately, very little is being done about it.
The problem might be that on the surface, most technological advancements are good things. Uber, for example, has made it easier and more affordable to get rides and for people to make money. Social Media platforms have helped people to stay in touch. Cryptocurrency has made it easier than ever for those who have difficulty accessing banking to get access to financial tools, while also being able to avoid unjust government regulation.
The same could be said about countless other advancements.
The problem is, however, that when we look at them all as a whole and how they have impacted our lives, there are some serious problems.
Social media, for example, has made cyberbullying into a huge problem that has resulted in millions of people experiencing numerous mental health issues. The ease of communication online has put billions of people at risk of scams from around the world.
Shutterstock
On top of that, the entire world has become entirely dependent on these systems for almost everything. Eventually, hacks, system malfunctions, state-sponsored attacks, or a combination of issues will result in a catastrophic issue that takes down these systems, with devastating consequences.
Even though everyone knows that the global technological systems are putting us all at risk, very little is being done about it. Curran writes:
“…there are good reasons to believe that little will be done about these risks until a massive society-wide crisis emerges.”
So, the question is, are we at real risk of a digital crisis? Curran answers that as well:
“Constant hacks, ransomware attacks and data leakages are warning signs that this is a deeply fragile system.”
There were plenty of risks in the past, but with the widespread adoption of AI systems, that risk is being compounded:
“AI has taken many of these vulnerabilities into overdrive while adding new risks, such as AI hallucinations and the exponential growth in misinformation.”
Shutterstock
If he is right, nobody has the desire to make the sweeping changes that would be needed to protect society from a potential digital collapse. Individuals and communities can take steps on their own, but that is more to insulate themselves against the fallout of a collapse rather than to stop one from happening at all.
At this point, it is not a question of if a digital collapse will occur, but when.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?