Upcoming unambiguously good tech possibilities? (Like eg indoor plumbing)

post by lukehmiles (lcmgcd) · 2024-04-11T23:14:06.355Z · LW · GW · 3 comments

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I recently asked [LW · GW] about the glorious AI future but I meant to ask something more actionable. Near-term (say, next 5 years) stuff that ambitious people can aim for.

Lots of recent tech is a mixed bag in terms of societal outcomes and whatnot. I have the usual complaints about viruses being too easy to create, social media, phone overuse,  gpt reddit astroturfing bots, facial recognition, mass surveillance, cheap quadcopters (cuz grenades), etc etc. ^[1]

I sure love my flush toilet though. And lightning rods, electricity, batteries, the computer mouse, wheels, airplanes, microscopes, vaccines, oral rehydration therapy (aka pedialyte), antiobiotics, the Haber-Bosch process, cultured meat if it works, air & water filters, reusable rockets, youtube, and cheap iron all seem pretty great. Democracy via anonymous paper ballots is also a clear win overall in my opinion.
 

What upcoming tech is all good good and no bad bad?^[2]

 

 

My starter list (not very good, hence the question):^[3]

• AI tutors
• embryo selection for health & wellbeing & actual intelligence^[4]
• AI life coaches
• precision farming robots (more & better food with less pesticides (aka widespread literal poison) — I would accept the unemployment on this one)

 

1. ^{^}

   This shouldn't influence the answers, but I also have lots complaints about stuff that ruins good excuses for good/social things. Harder to ask medium friends to drive you to the airport when you can uber; hard to ask a stranger on the street for directions when you can use GPS; learning music is probably a lot easier if there's zero recorded music; why see a play when you can watch a movie; etc etc etc etc.

2. ^{^}

   If the question is too vague for you (eg because tech consequences depend on how,when,where,bywho it is rolled out) then imagine you have the same degree of control over the tech that a well-run well-funded medium-sized tech co would have. And you roll it out in the best non-corporate-suicide (but not necessarily most profitable) way you can. So eg some superbio tech could be 100% great if the tech co keeps it secret and just sells drugs etc instead of selling the superbiotech itself.

   However, many bonus points if the most profitable/natural/realistic rollout of the given tech is also good.

3. ^{^}

   I omit social/policy tech that I don't have any idea how one would make happen — approval voting and such. Sometimes apparently you just need a decent app, like with Manifold. If you know of some good social tech that has a good chance of actually happening via some tech tech, please post it!

4. ^{^}

   Due to bio scientists' social conformity, we're currently stuck with the "academic achievement" proxy. If you know smart people who are & are not highly academically achieved, then you might notice that the two groups differ quite a bit in happiness, bravery, etc. As much as I like phd students, I wouldn't want the whole world full of only them.

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