Technology sets us apart from other animals. Indeed, some animals use tools intelligently, but we are intrinsically dependent on technology. It offers not only comfort but also the hope that we can solve any challenge we face. Yet, a new fear has emerged today: the fear that technology, having become so advanced, could actually turn against us. What are the limits of technology use? Is technology humanity’s savior or the harbinger of its doom? Should we continue to embrace technology uncritically? And if we must discern the uses of technology, what are the essential ideas to consider and the critical questions to ask?
Technology endows us with superhuman, though not supernatural, powers. It does not make us gods, yet it often tempts us to believe that we can become our own gods. There is a disproportionate relationship between the eagerness to embrace technology and the ability to restrain our misuse of it.
Embracing technology is indeed necessary for development, which is impossible without it. The transition from us using technology to technology using us has never been more evident and more alarming. The very power that unites humanity into a single global community may also prevent us from becoming agents of development—a price we cannot afford to pay. Today, more than ever, the discernment in the use of technology necessitates asking the right questions.