Protecting the Future of Humanity

The changing times are an unavoidable phenomenon. Throughout history, humans have continuously evolved, along with their needs. Due to these changing needs, humans always seek solutions to fulfill them in the best possible ways. This is when “technology” was created by humans to simplify our daily activities. In ancient times, for example, the technology created was not smartphones but rather tools that could create fire without waiting for lightning to strike a tree. Therefore, technology was created to constantly advance and follow human intelligence development, all with the goal of creating a better life.

“Technology’s purpose is to continuously progress, aligning with human intelligence development, to improve life.”

However, everything in the world always has two sides, and technology is no exception. It has both positive and negative aspects. Technology can be extremely dangerous when we use materials that disrupt the world’s ecosystem, like using lead for making mobile phones. Indeed, we cannot be separated from smartphones now, but if we keep depleting lead for technology creation, it is certain that our world will eventually be destroyed. Another example is the internet. Its existence among us can be very positive. Imagine being able to access various information from different parts of the world. Not to mention the opportunities for getting jobs through the internet. With its presence in our lives, we are no longer just consumers but also producers (prosumers). We not only consume information available on Google search engines but also produce information into it. Ironically, this ease can be exploited by certain parties to trigger problems. This is what eventually creates the frightening stigma around technology creation if clear guidelines about using technology wisely are not provided in the future.

I believe that we were created by God not to be greedy creatures, and we were given intellect to build something that can improve our world. The future of humanity depends on how we understand the function of technology in our lives. It’s about wisely choosing and discerning technological products that can advance our lives, spread goodness, and solve ongoing problems.

In some countries, like Japan, they have developed intelligent robots to address the lack of human resources in certain jobs. These robots are essential to maintain productivity and efficiency. However, their use can also be misused. Therefore, the role of the government is crucial in ensuring proper regulations. Comprehensive education to the public about innovations should be done from the outset to prevent misuses caused by ignorance of the significant impacts of such innovations.

“We were created by God not to be greedy creatures, and we were given intellect to build something that can improve our world.”

Not long from now — at least 10 years from now, technology and the human body will merge. There will be no distinction between humans and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It means our bodies can program AI implanted within us to perform various activities. For instance, chips implanted in our hands for transaction purposes. Future technology is predicted to revolve around cashless and frameless concepts. No longer will we need to carry multiple items for transactions or gadgets to search for information.

Now, let’s talk about social media. For many, it’s merely a place for entertainment or work. What they don’t know is that social media was created to establish a new lifestyle in the future. Social media is now used to gather various human identities. When creating a social media account, we input photos and personal information. As we use it actively, our personality becomes apparent – from how we talk, behave, to our daily habits. This data collection will later be used to ease information search and fulfill our needs without extensive commands. Search engines will be able to read our minds and understand our character effortlessly.

For those of us in the previous generation, this phenomenon might sound frightening. But for the next generation, it will become a trend. Anything that was once considered dangerous or unusual in the next generation will become commonplace. Just like how our grandparents didn’t have mobile phones, and seeing us use them might have seemed strange or even dangerous to them. During the transitional period, there will undoubtedly be a crisis. Every change leads to disruption. When the first light bulbs appeared, candle sellers surely went bankrupt as everyone switched to using bulbs. Every mass-produced technology will inevitably bring disruption, signaling a new era.

With the emergence of new technologies, I believe society will be reluctant to return to old lifestyles. In the past, I experienced internet cafes. My uncle suggested that I start a business with an internet cafe when I grow up. However, the internet cafe eventually transformed into a café. Something might be lost, but there will always be substitutions. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects that might occur, we should focus on the positive side. For example, with internet connectivity reaching every corner of Indonesia, we will witness economic growth, as well as an improvement in knowledge for children in remote areas. Everything will turn out well as long as the community and the government work together to preserve culture from erosion. Once again, both local and central governments need to be more decisive with rules and regulations, ensuring that technology is not misused and can be used wisely.

“Every change leads to disruption.”

This content has been previously published on https://greatmind.id/article/melindungi-masa-depan-manusia.