Doctoral Level Independent Study – CSCI 7900-903
Assignment 1 – Bill Joy Article
Yingdan Huang
1. Write a one paragraph summary statement about the article characterizing the
main message of the article?
The 21st-century technologies - genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR)
leads to the possibility of knowledge-enabled mass destruction (KMD), which is
destructive to survive of human-beings. Bill Joy reviewed some precedents of
unintended consequences brought by new technology, such as overuse of
antibiotics and the first atomic bomb and the resulting arms race. But he believes
that current situation is much more complicated and dangerous after further
investigation in GNR. He advocates scientists should consider ethical and moral
dimensions beyond technical level. Bill Joy proposes relinquishment as the
solution: to limit development of the technologies that are too dangerous, by
limiting our pursuit of certain kinds of knowledge. A utopia of Fraternity has been
introduced to illustrate his view to the question.
2. With which arguments (focused on predicting future developments) do you
2.1. Agree
“The rate of improvement of technology is going to accelerate.” (Ray Kurzweil)
“Genetic engineering may soon provide treatments, if not outright cures, for most
diseases; and nanotechnology and nanomedicine can address yet more ills.
Together they could significantly extend our average life span and improve the
quality of our lives. Yet, with each of these technologies, a sequence of small,
individually sensible advances leads to an accumulation of great power and,
concomitantly, great danger.”
“The dream of robotics is, first, that intelligent machines can do our work for us,
allowing us lives of leisure, restoring us to Eden.”
2.2. Disagree
“Humans gained near immortality by becoming one with robotic technology.”
(Ray Kurzweil) – I just simply don’t accept this definition of “immortality”.
“…because human work will no longer be necessary the masses will be
superfluous, a useless burden on the system.” (Theodore Kaczynski - the
Unabomber) – The underlying assumption is Elite treat people in current way
because they still need human work.
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