Challenges and Criticism of Emerging Technologies and Trends
The new developments and advancement in technology and upgraded trends are reversing the sands of time. Various emerging technologies like 3D printing and mapping, quantum computing, hypersonic, big data analysis, biometrics, nanotechnology robotics, blockchain and not to forget the biggest weapon of the times i.e. Artificial Intelligence have become an integral part of our daily lives.
These algorithms are a benevolent overlord since a few decades now. Just like an instant after the big bang , a vast shower of particles was released into the cosmos and ever since they have been flooding through space, the emergence of technologies and its widespread in every domain has made every human being highly reliant on these technologies.
Application of technology from filling dishwashers in the right manner and cleansing it to evolving intelligent marine species like octopus to live on land called octopus tech innovation has creeped into the world and spread in every domain.
These emerging technologies and trends hold great promises and bring about significant advancements and opportunities but they also come with their fair share of challenges and criticism. Some of the key challenges include:
- Ethical concerns : Autonomous weapons powered by Artificial Intelligence raise serious moral questions , privacy violation in the form of facial recognition or surveillance system hacking
- Job displacement: Rapid advancement of robotics threatens to replace human workers across various sectors globally. Continuous reskilling and retraining of workers required to keep up with the changing times that has increased the recruitment cost.
- Environmental impact: Cryptocurrency mining consumes vast amounts of energy and contributes to carbon emission hence leading to environmental degradation. Growing problem of e-waste poses its own set of environmental concerns.
- Regulatory & legal challenges: Such as unclear ownership in matters like intellectual property rights . Classic example for this can be legal uncertainty caused by Artificial intelligence due to copyright infringement. Vast number of copyrighted books appear to have been memorised by ChatGPT and its successor GPT-4 posing numerous questions about the legality of how these large language models are created.
- Inequality and Access: Disparities in education, healthcare sectors to name a few due to unequal access to the trending innovations.
- Health concerns: increased screen time leading to health issues like eye strain , sleep disruption , obesity, mental health concerns and addiction to social media applications
- Cultural & Social Impact: increased screentime has reduced face to face interactions , outdoor playtime and risen reliance on digital communication.
- Misinformation and Disinformation: Extraction of rare earth metals has led to environmental degradation and geopolitical tensions.
There are various case laws that can be used vividly to showcase the challenges faced in the nation due to these emerging technologies
- All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA) v. Flipkart India Pvt. Ltd. : Allegation made for violation of Foreign Direct Investment rules by various ecommerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon posing threat to the regulatory framework of the nation.
- Common Cause v Union of India(2019) : In this case Delhi High Court upheld that to maintain transparency and accountability, government shall block online content that pose a threat to the national security.
- Environmental and Consumer Protection Foundation v Union of India (2020) : In this case Delhi High Court sought to initiate resolution process and call for moratorium period till the health effects were studied and proper preventive actions were implemented.
- Payment Council of India v Reserve Bank of India (2020) : In this case the RBI directives were challenged and there was requirement for localizing the payment data.
- Reliance Big Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. V Jyoti Cable Network : This case involved copyright infringement disputes and highlighting online piracy issues through cable networks.
There are various case laws that can be used vividly to showcase the challenges faced globally due to these emerging technologies
- Google LLC v CNIL : This case involved the “ right to be forgotten “ under European data protection laws, highlighting concerns regarding privacy rights and availability of information online.
- United States v NCR Corporation & United States v. Apple Inc. :Issues concerning Artificial intelligence bias and discrimination are highlighted in these cases.
- Various cases on Climate Change Litigation have been filed against the government and companies and this has affected the energy sector to a large extent.
- Various Autonomous Vehicle Lawsuits have been filed raising questions about liability and insurance caused due to the emerging technologies.
In this continually evolving legal landscape , balancing innovation with responsible development and regulation is crucial , the European Union’s Intelligence Act which has been two years in the making will include the requirement that companies making these generative AI tools need to disclose any copyrighted material used to train language models. Books like Games of Thrones that is under copyright is known well by ChatGPT and its successor GPT-4 . Infact Artificial Intelligence is now able to fill in missing details from the selection of almost 600 fiction books drawn from sources between 1924 and 2020.This has emerged as one of the most pressing legal challenges to the novel industry in every country globally.
In conclusion , while emerging technologies and trends promise great advancements, they also bring forth a host of challenges and criticisms that require careful navigation. Ethical considerations, privacy concerns , economic disparities, environmental sustainability and employment disruption all demand our attention.
To harness the full potential of emerging technologies , it is essential to address these issues through responsible innovation, robust regulations and a commitment to equitable and sustainable progess . Only by doing so can we ensure that these technologies benefit society as a whole.
Author:- Hemika Gala, a Student of Jiterndra chauhan college of law
Ambit of Lease & Critique of Rent Control Acts India
