Russian politician and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warns that modern technological progress is unprecedented in its speed and humanity was not prepared for such rapid changes. In an article for the magazine Expert warns that disruptive innovations bring not only convenience but also potential threats that could radically affect the future of humanity.

Modern technological advances are surpassing all expectations: „Humanity hardly expected such rapid changes and frankly was not prepared for them.“ Technological innovation, he says, requires „making deals with the part of the force that eternally wills evil and eternally does good.“ The benefits are obvious, but the dangers are growing: „Technological advances and innovations not only provide comfort and convenience, but also pose threats that could radically affect the future of humanity.“

Medvedev admits that it is uncertain whether the development of technology in the 21st century will lead to the long-term prosperity of humanity. In the short term, however, mankind may begin to extract raw materials on the Moon: „Today, mankind can begin to extract resources on the Moon and transport people and cargo there.“

Threats in space

Moving critical infrastructure into space entails „new vulnerabilities“. The risks will be cumulative and will lead to „a growing range of threats, vulnerabilities and potential consequences“. As the space sector develops, more actors will become involved, each of which can threaten other actors and entire states. Threats can arise in all elements of the production and operational chain, including satellite manufacturing, launch industry, satellite services and ground services.

Biolabs and new biological weapons

According to Medvedev, the US has created a global network of military biology laboratories to control the spread of epidemics and study the genetic factors of human resistance. „Millions of people have unwittingly become hostages to deadly threats,“ They claim. Advances in synthetic biology and genome editing are bringing „unprecedented risks, including the potential development of new biological weapons“.

The New Ethics of War and Drones

The use of drones on the battlefield creates „a fundamentally new situation in terms of the rules and ethics of war“. Separating the killer from the victim reduces moral responsibility and increases the psychological barrier: „This distant struggle creates a dangerous psychological barrier, lowers the threshold for the use of force, and ultimately blurs moral responsibility.“ Autonomous AI combat systems that know neither mercy nor compassion, he says, represent „the eschatological paradox of machines gaining the right to make independent decisions about human life and death“.

At the same time, drones are becoming accessible and cheap tools for terrorists and criminal networks. They can be used for smuggling, drug delivery or industrial and military espionage, increasing the demands on law enforcement.

Threats of artificial intelligence

Potential for AI to take control of production facilities using critical technologies „carries global risks", that exceed traditional hacker threats. The mass use of AI could threaten the jobs of millions of people, cause unemployment and disrupt international labour chains. Medvedev warns that AI with superintelligence levels „is under no obligation to obey Isaac Asimov's three famous laws of robotics, because it will not belong to humans but to itself“.

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