How can tech save the world?

[dimitarvp]

@AstonJ

Sometimes I feel like I (/we’re) a cancer on this planet

Who is “we”? There are many very different types of humans.

@AstonJ

It doesn’t always have to be that way

Read history. People who dwell too much on being civilized and devising protocols of communication and interaction eventually always fall under those who have no scruples. (Medieval French aristocratic / knight army fell under the peasant armies of England, being one example.)

We cannot just scratch ego and greed out of the equation is what I am saying. They must be weaponized for good – but we can’t pretend they don’t exist.

@AstonJ

Haha, you just helped prove my point Dimi; there’s so much wrong in the pet world that more needs to be done. More education, more campaigning to stop puppy farmers, better registration systems, better pet-food standards, etc.

You seem to make the very typical first-world citizen mistake of thinking that some people want education. On the contrary, there are some who will first buy illegal weapons and come to you and shoot you before receiving said education. A lot of people are very happy being ignorant and inconsiderate.

I have the questionable advantage of living in the inner city of one of the biggest cities on the Balkans and I am sometimes being exposed to such “people” – while you live in a beautiful countryside in a first-world country. Consider that your social bubble might be blinding you to some realities.

@AstonJ

“ The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress. ”

You and I agree completely on this. Many others don’t, was my point here.

@AstonJ

I’d like to leave you with a question Dimi - how do you think you can use your developer skills to ‘save’ the planet or make the world a better place in the most impactful way?

Now we’re talking. I could do a lot… theoretically. But can I, really? When and how will we get enough free time and/or energy for it? I struggled to stay afloat and have enough money and material success all my life (although admittedly I only started doing things right after 35… past can really screw up your brain and put you on a self-destructive path!)

And now that I can finally feel a bit safer and do things… I no longer have the strength (I have to take care of my health still). But I am not sure after I regain my physical health if I would even want to start any side efforts. I am still enthusiastic about quite a few things in tech, but burnout and desire to chill and regenerate are getting stronger with time.

To answer your question: I’d devise a general AI (like Skynet) and will just laugh in my beach house while I watch live streams of panicking politicians as the AI takes over all governance on the planet. That’s what I’d do.