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Contrasting Visions of Future Empowerment

Opinions differ as to whether technology will empower or enslave us.
  • The Revitalisation of Socio-Political Intitutions
    • Global networks enable, participatory democracy.
    • 20th C disillusionment and impotence melts away as ordinary people engage in effective socio-political choice.
    • Governments become service organisations..
  • The Singularity (Vernor Vinge)
    • Superhuman intelligence emerges and swallows us up.
    • A distopian vision in which we all end up as house pets for our creations, or worse. The ultimate disenfranchisement.

Create "The Future", or Suffer it

  • Our choice is, either:
    • Decide what kind of world we want to live in.
    • Work together to make it happen.
  • or:
    • Stay in a muddle.
    • Settle for what we get (but probably not like it much).

up home © RBJ created 97/9/18 modified 97/9/21