Impact of Computer on Society and the Individual - Essay Example

It could be easy to reconstruct the genome, and if it is released a weapon of destruction, it can have far more devastating effects than an atomic bomb. They argue for urgent international agreements on limiting such publications and making the requirement of such verifiable data in publications restricted to the higher authorities. The arguments sound valid since it refers to the possibilities of mass destruction if such data ends up in the wrong hands. History has taught us that this could be the case if proper precautionary measures are not taken.

Ray Kurzweil’s talk titled ‘The Coming Singularity’ deals with a similar topic. He reflects on the possibility of the reverse engineering of the human brain. He feels that the pace at which computer technology develops is phenomenal, and in the coming years, there will be machines that are superior to human beings. It won’t be an extra-terrestrial invasion that we will have to deal with in the future, but an invasion that comes of our own inventions that replace the human brain, complete with emotional intelligence.

While this may have its good effects, one has to be aware of the downsides too. While computer technology grows exponentially, the possibilities of its related fields, like biotechnology misusing the developments to re-create a genome of a deadly virus and to use it as part of bio-terror exists. There has to be a system in place to fight any such possibilities, the way the software viruses are fought effectively.