Cities on Mars, pet unicorns, cures for old age — all of these things might be possible in the future. However, just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. My new book, WELCOME TO THE FUTURE: Robot Friends, Fusion Energy, Pet Dinosaurs, and More takes you on a tour of exciting future technologies. But the real reason I wrote this book is to ask deep ethical questions about what sort of future will be best for humanity. Here are 10 of those questions.
Everyone’s answers to these questions will be different, or you might not know your answer yet. That’s OK. The important thing is to think carefully about these questions, since you and all the young people out there will be the ones to create the future.
1. Do you want a pet dinosaur or unicorn?
It would be so cool to have a mythical creature or extinct beast of your own. It would also be fun to see one in a zoo, like Jurassic World. But what would creating these creatures mean for the world? In the Jurassic World movies, things don’t go so well. Might these new creatures upset existing ecosystems? And is it fair to the animals themselves to bring them into a world where they don’t really belong?
2. Do you want a robot that does all your chores?
You might love never having to wash the dishes, pick up your room, or fold laundry, ever again. But what if robots could do any human job? How would people make money? Maybe the government could provide everyone with money. But what would people do with their time? Work (and sometimes chores) give many people’s lives meaning and purpose. What do you think robots should do for people and what shouldn’t they do?
3. Do you want to live forever?
Dying is scary, so living forever (or for a very long time) may seem like a great thing. But what would happen to the world if no one died? How would we feed all those people and where would they live? Plus, would life feel less meaningful if people rarely died? And how might human relationships or the human mind change after hundreds of years of life? What human lifespan seems ideal to you?
4. Do you want to live on Mars?
Visiting the moon or Mars would be the ultimate adventure. But human space travel is also fraught with danger. Is it OK to send people to other planets when they might not survive? Also, should planets be preserved as they are, like national parks? Do people really have the right to claim another planet as their own? Should we fix things on Earth first before we try to make another planet a place we could call home?
5. Do you want superpowers?
Imagine how awesome it could be to see like a hawk, run like a cheetah, or lift as much as a gorilla. These types of enhancements could help rescue workers, doctors, and others in their jobs. But they could also divide humanity and increase inequality, since not everyone would want or be able to afford enhancements. In what cases might enhancements be a good idea? And would we still be human if we made these types of changes to ourselves?
6. Do you want telepathy?
Telepathy could someday be real, thanks to technology that reads and translates brain activity. If your phone could read your thoughts or memories, how might that be fun and useful? How might it be creepy and dangerous? Is there a way to make mind-reading technology safe? What rules would need to be in place? Or would you prefer to keep the brain and tech separate?
7. Do you want realistic virtual worlds?
The ultimate gaming experience would be a virtual reality that feels just like the real world. In this world, you’d be able to do anything and go anywhere. You could have that pet dinosaur or all the enhancements you want without real world risks. But would people get addicted to this virtual world? Would they get confused about what is real and what is not? And how might powerful people misuse the ability to create any reality they want?
Think about all these questions. Then tell me in the comments or in an email — what do you want for your future?