The Age of Automation: Technical Genius, Social DilemmaAutomation now supplants economic activity more than it supports it. Furthermore, this process is fueled by enormous economic forces, which intensifies dependence on automation and spawns other sociological consequences. Of these consequences, fraud generates the highest immediate losses, amounting to $300 billion annually. In the long run, however, the greatest economic cost will occur through loss of jobs, and a lowering of net skills for most of the balance. Other consequences include pervasive invasion of privacy, and overdependence on technology at the expense of developing critical reasoning, judgement, and a personal sense of responsibility. Fortunately, many of these consequences could be ameliorated by automated countermeasures that offset the excesses. Unfortunately, it usually takes a crisis to institute fundamental reform, though the looming economic meltdown stemming from the mounting federal debt offers just such an opportunity. |
Contents
The Machine at the Door | 3 |
Primer on Automation | 19 |
The Frankenstein Issue | 39 |
Copyright | |
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abuse Alan Turing applications automation automation-related crime benefits billion called central processing unit chapter complex Computer Crime consequences copies corporations cost critical mass databases decision support programs deficit developed dollars economic effect electronic especially ethical issues example excesses executive information system factors federal Frankenstein fraud funds Furthermore Golem human image processing income tax increase individual input integrated interactive interior lines Internal Revenue Service invasion of privacy labor least less linked logical machine major means Medicare ment Newsweek Norbert Wiener operating organism percent perhaps physical population potential problems reason records reduce replicate requirements robotics schools side-effects situation Social Security technique theme tion USAA variation virtual reality virtually workstation XXXX XXXX XXXX York