However,
while we do not the sophisticated level of artificial intelligence as
demonstrated in the movie, people today are highly dependent on technology more
than ever and that dependency continues to grow. Within the 21st century alone,
cell phones have evolved from a simple means of telephonic communication to a
“must have” device because of their ability to gain access to email, social
media, news, bank accounts and information with a tap on a screen or push of a button.
Society as
a whole does seem to draw more advantages than disadvantages from the use of
current technology as seen with many companies who leverage new technologies to
work more efficiently, such as using robots to improve production quality and
increase quantity while reducing the need for costly labor. Another
example in the business field is how technology such as video conferencing can
help reduce the cost of employee travel by eliminating the need for a majority
of face-to-face meetings. However, for many of the working class jobs such as
the toll booth operators or the New York City token booth operators, their jobs
are at risk due to new technologies that can simply replace them.
Nonetheless, to offset the replaced workers, new technology also helps create
new jobs that may transition the ‘working class’ to support the maintenance of
the new industries. Thus, while there are some drawbacks, the benefits seem to outweigh the consequences.
As seen in the movie iRobot, despite the fact that
the robots turn on the humans and pose a threat to their safety including their
children, once the industry ‘fixes’ the issues with the ‘older models’ people
still use them without a second thought. In comparison to our dependency on
technology today, I see how our society will continue to use technology despite
any potential threats. In seeing the stories of social media issues like
sex-offenders preying on underage children to the ease of your identity being
stolen on the internet, people will continue to integrate new technologies into
their daily lives not only because industries provide it, but because people
will demand it.
