New technologies

When George Orwell published ‘1984’, readers merely considered it a science-fiction novel. As a matter of fact, in 1949 it was almost impossible for most people to conceive a world which was completely controlled by telescreens, where privacy was violated and individual thought was forbidden.

Nowadays, however, things have changed: thanks to technical and scientific advance, new technologies are accessible to everyone, even if many users underestimate their risks.

On the one hand, new technologies are certainly useful to improve everyday life. A smartphone or a computer can be used to pay a check with one simple click or to find an information in internet in a few seconds. Moreover, keeping contact with foreign friends or relatives is now very easy thanks to applications which allow to make video calls and to send instant messages. But the most innovative invention is probably that of humanoids, robots similar to humans which are able to walk, to cook, to speak and to do many other activities such as educating a child or keeping company to an old lady.

On the other hand, the exploitation of artificial intelligence is degenerating in some parts of the world. In China, for instance, the government assigned to every citizen a ‘social score’, which changes depending on their behaviour. If people always respect the law, they can access public services and means of transport. But if they are seen by the many surveillance cameras while committing an infraction, they are immediately identified and their score is lowered, preventing them from taking a plane or a train, for example. Even if this system is based on meritocracy and provides order and security, it is undeniable that it also limits freedom and human rights.

In conclusion, although it is impossible to stop progress, we should pay attention to the uncontrolled spread of new technologies. People who can master them are becoming more and more powerful and they risk to gain control over our minds, making us forget that the rights we have gained after centuries of struggles can’t be taken from us.

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