To Face the Future Ellen Spertus MCS 123/223 November 19, 2002

2 2009: Technology Personal local area networks Continuous speech recognition better that human transcribers Language user interfaces for routine interactions Small high-quality computer displays Laboratory nanomachines

3 Steve Mann Pioneer in wearable computers “For two years, I had 30,000 people inside my head, watching what I did every day, altering my reality, offering suggestions on what I should do next.”

4 Steve Mann Pioneer in wearable computers “For two years, I had 30,000 people inside my head, watching what I did every day, altering my reality, offering suggestions on what I should do next.”

5 2009: Consequences Education Business and economics Gender and race relations

6 2009: Politics “There is continuing concern with an underclass that the skill ladder has left far behind. The size of the underclass appears to be stable, however. Although not politically popular, the underclass is politically neutralized through public assistance and the generally high level of affluence.”

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9 2019: Technology Three-dimensional virtual reality and communication –Lifelike human telepresence –“Total touch” haptic environment Reverse engineering of the brain Tiny ubiquitous cameras $4000 computer has same computational power as human brain

: Predictions Human-automaton relationships Concern about computer intelligence Lifelong learning (or unemployment) Reverse engineering of the human genome Expected lifespan of over 100 years Some people avoid human interaction

: Discussion

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: Technology $1000 computer  1000 human brains Partial reverse engineering of human brain Human-machine interface –Visual –Auditory –Neural implants for improved perception, learning, memory, and reasoning –Diagnostic internal nanobots

: Discussion

: Technology Human brain reverse engineered Utility fog Human beings don’t need to eat Scanning and replication of human brains Eric Drexler 150 years old Immortality

: Discussion By Natasha Vita-More

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18 Questions How do you believe technology will advance? How will society change? How can you prepare yourself for the future?

19 Challenge What technological advances do you think are inevitable, possible, impossible? What social advances do you think are inevitable, possible, impossible? What possible futures are desirable? How can you make them happen?

20 Remainder of semester Thursday, Nov. 21: –“Gender Violence: Recognizing and Resisting Abuse in the Online Environment” by Susan Herring. Friday, Nov. 22: Final lab due Tuesday, Nov. 26: –robot maze contest –graduate student presentations Tuesday, Dec. 3: conclusions