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Will we allow automated robotic law enforcement?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Mon, 02/24/2014 - 21:47

Knightscope K5 unit at a mall Automated law enforcement would offer a network of systems capable of identifying a crime and gathering enough information on the law-breaker for human officers to identify and consider charges. This is a hot topic issue that will become hotter as technologies merge towards the point where companies will attempt to retail robotic systems to augment human police forces.

Geoengineering: Are things so bad we need to terraform our own planet?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Mon, 02/24/2014 - 18:33

Cloud seeding When scientists present information on global warming or climate change, what they're trying to prove is how mankind is changing the Earth's atmosphere and causing shifts in the planet's weather system in response.

Could Skynet start in the third world?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Fri, 02/21/2014 - 16:13

IBM's Watson Imagine a setting where the average member of a culture is so focused on day to day issues they don't question the improvements such a system provides. Imagine the people come to see the system as a benevolent protector. How far would they let it grow? Too far to shut it down?

Artifact from the Future: Choice Reducer 5000

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Wed, 02/19/2014 - 09:36

Choice reducer 5000 view There has been quite a bit of debate over adding facial recognition and allowing pop-up marketing on devices such as Google Glass - think iBeacon updates as an overlay on your vision. Today's IFTF artifact gives some control back to shoppers, using information overlays to help us identify the risk/reward for snacking.

Though I have to wonder if facial recognition could be just as useful. Walk in to a party and get an overlay of someone's real age, Facebook relationship status, favorite book or film, and how many times they've been married. Oh, and throw in their credit rating and you might fend off the jackals.

Where will technology and big data take our future?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Tue, 02/18/2014 - 13:16

Technology is slowly infiltrating every area of our human existence. I read Alistair Croll's Race Alongside the Machine today on re/code and it led me to a reflection on how we humans are being changed by the technology we develop and where this might lead in the future.

When I came up with the original idea for a future-focused site, I immediately created a short list I called "aspects of human existence." I've changed them to "elements of how we live" and use them as story tags, a taxonomy vocabulary in Drupal terms, in order to help users find content. After reading Croll's piece, I decided today's exercise would be to look at the (now much longer) list and see what I can come up with for where current trends and predictions will take us as we continue to combine humans, technology and big data.

What will it take for you to get a data chip embedded in your body?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Mon, 02/17/2014 - 15:33

Data chip implants
What it is - Implants embedded in our bodies. They allow us to access current services such as GPS and RFID. In the future, they can be used to store medical device and other data, connect with cellphone systems and even connect with friends as a form of artificial telepathy.

Is the act of creating a remote-controlled roach an immoral act?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Fri, 02/14/2014 - 14:08

Do-it-yourself cyborgs
What it is - Attaching a 'brain controlling' kit to a cockroach to turn it into a remote controlled organism.

Where you've seen it - Well, you can see a video about it here:

Will predictive policing be used to protect both victim and potential perpetrator?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Fri, 02/14/2014 - 13:41

Predictive policing is the use of data to identify crimes before they happen. A system like this monitors all available data feeds watching for trends and triggers that might lead to crime. Once a trend is identified as reching a crisis point, an attempt can be made to halt a crime before it can occur.

Podcast: Viewpoints on artificial intelligence by Nancy Fulda

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 20:02

Nancy Fulda Hugo and Nebula awards nominee Nancy Fulda was on Writing Excuses podcast last month. The topic was artificial intelligence and Nancy has both undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science with a research focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Can smart gun technology help resolve the current American firearm debate?

Submitted by Daryl Weade on Mon, 02/10/2014 - 19:15

Smart gun in case

Gun ownership in America is polarizing issue and one that seems to be facing a very slow path to solution. And by solution, I mean finding a way to cut down on gun-related deaths without changing legal gun ownership rights. I can't speak for all moderates, but I'm a firm believer that guns do kill people (which isn't always the issue, but they also tend to kill the people next to the people the shooter is aiming at) and that we do have a right to bear arms.

Something has to give.

When a situation reaches this point, and the industry with the R&D money (the gun industry in this situation) refuse to step up, that industry is ripe for disruption. As we move into the future, these disruptions are really what will create the future and how we'll use, own and feel safer around firearms.