My greatest
fear is one of my old inventions turning into a mischievous wayward child. If the devout Mormon Philo Farnsworth knew that
the television he invented would be used for adult entertainment, he would likely
try to disown it. Unfortunately, great
modern inventions sneak out of their cozy bedrooms and paint the town red:
Facebook has its share of cyberbullies and adulterers, e-mails are being seized
by governments with questionable intentions, and Twitter feeds are used to
organize violent flash mobs. If I was an
inventor whose product was used for evil, I’d feel a great responsibility to minimize
its negative effects but feel completely powerless to do so. The best I can do is to keep the fatted calf
waiting at home while I await the prodigal son’s return.
Though I'd probably feel the same way if I invented something that was used for evil, it's worth noting that just because you invent something that becomes a significant part of the human experience doesn't mean you can change human nature. Yes, you have a responsibility to try and steer your inventions for good. But there comes a point where you have to let your users be responsible for their own choices in using the technology you created.
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree with this post. I think inventors have a minimal responsibility to create good inventions. But the humans are "carnal, sensual and devilish." A recent example of this is Snapchat. The creators of that service insist they did not create it to make sexting easier, but that's a huge part of what Snapchat has done.
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