by Andrew Maynard | Oct 8, 2018 | Civic Science, Films from the Future, Future, Responsible Innovation, Technology Innovation
On January 15, 1813, fourteen men were hanged outside York Castle in England for crimes associated with technological activism. It was the largest number of people ever hanged in a single day at the castle. These hangings were a decisive move against an uprising protesting the impacts of increased mechanization, one that became known as the Luddite movement after its alleged leader, Ned Ludd.
by Andrew Maynard | Oct 5, 2018 | Films from the Future, Future
While it’s still a few weeks before Films from the Future is published (November 15th – mark your calendar!), a few people have already had the chance to read the book, and provide their thoughts on it. The book, by the way, is already available for...
by Andrew Maynard | Oct 4, 2018 | Artificial Intelligence, Films from the Future, Future, Responsible Innovation
In January 2017, a group of experts from around the world got together to hash out guidelines for beneficial artificial intelligence research and development. The meeting was held at the Asilomar Conference Center in California, the same venue where, in 1975, a group of scientists famously established safety guidelines for recombinant DNA research. This time, though, the focus was on ensuring that research on increasingly powerful AI systems led to technologies that benefited society without creating undue risks.
by Andrew Maynard | Sep 27, 2018 | Emerging Technology, Films from the Future, Future, Responsible Innovation, Technology Innovation
The forthcoming book Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies explores the complex dynamics between emerging technologies and society through twelve science fiction movies. This excerpt comes from the chapter on the 1995 Japanese Anime movie...
by Andrew Maynard | Sep 19, 2018 | Civic Science, Emerging Technology, Films from the Future, Future, Responsible Innovation, Technology Innovation
On September 17, 2011, a small group of social activists occupied Zuccotti Park in New York City. The occupation became the spearhead for the global “Occupy” movement, protesting a growing disparity between “haves” and “have-nots” within society. Two years later, the movie Elysium built on this movement as it sought to reveal the potential injustices of a technologically sophisticated future where a small group of elites live in decadent luxury at the expense of the poor.
by Andrew Maynard | Sep 13, 2018 | Emerging Technology, Films from the Future, Future, Responsible Innovation, Technology Innovation
In2004, the academic and medical doctor Anjan Chatterjee wrote a review of what he termed “Cosmetic Neurology.” He was far from the first person to write about the emergence and ethics of cognitive enhancers, but the piece caught my attention because of its unusual title…