ACT

Technology

The topic of intelligent machines almost always entails a heated discussion/debate. In today’s modern world, technology-such as intelligent machines or AI-is an integral part of our society. History has shown that the development of society, technology, and culture has always led to an overall positive outcome for humanity. Take the invention of the loom, initially, people were outraged because they believed that this new technology was taking common jobs away. However, the loom revolutionized the market and actually created more jobs for the common people. 

The argument that our humanity is somehow lost in our interaction with machines is inherently false. Although there is an undeniable issue with smartphones and its effect on our generation, we are now more connected than ever before. Old, does not necessarily mean better. Rather, it simply advocates safety and comfort. The human species has always been striving for the next level, the next step, the next frontier. The fact that some are against pushing the boundaries suggests that humans have become complacent in their predecessors’ success. Perhaps, it is not our mundane day to day interactions that define our humanity, but our drive to rewrite what is deemed plausible and erase the notion of impossible that makes us human. 

Intelligent machines are most likely the next step for humanity. As technology develops at a rapid pace, possibilities once considered hogwash, are now commonplace. However, we must not be as naive as to believe that development only entails positive outcomes. Although the allure of futuristic technology may be enticing, humanity must weigh the positives against the negatives. Just as the loom brought prosperity and created many jobs, it caused pain, misery, and death. By placing children in factories and creating a dangerous environment, the positives of the loom were often outweighed by the negatives. If we carefully control and regulate this new technology, intelligent machines could be a semicolon for humanity in history, rather than a period.

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Reflection

Although I do not plan to take the ACT, writing this essay on technology has been, for a lack of words, enlightening. The world is becoming increasingly reliant on technology. Personally, I do not really contemplate the pros and cons of technology nor the effect they had or will have, I simply enjoy it. However, our reliance on technology can create irreparable issues. Through this prompt I was able to take other people’s perspectives and make it my own.