One of the topics that is currently advancing the fastest is technology, which raises a key question: Is it a friend or an enemy of humanity? This article explores the ways in which technology can impact our life, including examples from a variety of industries, including energy, education, and medicine.

I. Possible Advantages of Technology

1. Medicine Domain:

تشير دراسة نشرت في مجلة “Nature” إلى أن التكنولوجيا الطبية يمكن أن تُزيد متوسط العمر المتوقع إلى 125 عامًا بحلول عام 2100.

By evaluating medical photos more accurately than clinicians can occasionally, artificial intelligence technology provide options to enhance the diagnostic process.

-high accuracy

-speed of diagnosis

-ability to reduce human error

-ability to detect diseases in their early stages

-ability to predict treatment outcomes for individual patients.

As examples, consider:

• Mammography analysis in the diagnosis of breast cancer

• Chest X-ray analysis (CT scan) for lung cancer diagnosis;

• CT and MRI brain imaging for brain imaging analysis

• Nanotechnology: creating and producing materials and equipment at the nanoscale, such as delivering DNA molecules to fix genes that cause disease.

• Gene editing technology: altering the genes of cancer cells to treat cancer by modifying the genes that cause the disease.

Energy domain:

As per the United Nations climate change report, industrialists hope to use future technologies to keep the Earth's temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius through the Paris Agreement. Changing to alternate energies achieves this:

Solar energy is a clean, renewable energy source that can be used in homes and businesses. Solar panels use sunlight to transform it directly into electrical energy.

Wind energy: Another clean, renewable energy source that may be employed in big power plants is wind energy, which is converted into electrical energy using wind turbines.

Electric vehicles: Since they reduce the emissions of air pollutants, electric vehicles are a more environmentally friendly option than those that depend on fossil fuels. Global sales of electric vehicles are predicted by American research firm Goldman Sachs to reach approximately 73 million units by 2040.

Education Domain:

Virtual and augmented reality: These technologies are utilized to build interactive learning environments that let students visit historical locations or explore into complex scientific subjects without getting up from their chairs.

Personalized learning: Artificial intelligence technologies are utilized to determine the unique learning requirements of every student and create individualized lesson plans that support their preferred mode of learning.

المنصات التعليمية الإلكترونية: توفر المنصات التعليمية الإلكترونية مثل “يوديمي” و “كورسيرا” ملايين الدورات التدريبية عبر الإنترنت في مختلف المجالات، ممّا يُتيح للطلاب التعلم من أي مكان وفي أي وقت ، و ذلك بحسب تقرير ESoft skills  حول اهم المنصات الالكترونية.

Environment Domain:

Renewable energy: With the aid of technology, renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy can be developed, thus decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. The International Renewable Energy Agency predicts that by 2030 and 2040, respectively, 30% and 45% of the world's electricity production will come from renewable sources. Between 2010 and 2020, the price of electricity produced from solar energy dropped by 85% as well. Both offshore and onshore wind energy saw cost reductions of 56% and 48%, respectively. By 2030, it is anticipated that yearly global investment in renewable energy would approach $4.2 trillion.

• Cutting carbon emissions: Technology contributes to the fight against climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions. $447 million has been set aside by Congress for the study and creation of large-scale carbon removal technology.

• Reducing carbon emissions: Technology contributes to the fight against climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Congress has set aside $447 million for the study and creation of large-scale carbon removal technology. To keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emissions must decrease by 43% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Advanced nuclear power, green hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage are examples of new technologies that lower emissions.

Potential risks of technology

Job loss risks:

Some jobs will be replaced by robots and artificial intelligence, which could result in unemployment. One of the biggest problems communities are currently facing is the loss of jobs brought about by technology. According to an alert from the International Monetary Fund, artificial intelligence might disrupt 40% of the world's labor.

Fortunately, however, there are a number of ways for reducing this phenomenon's consequences. Here are a few examples:

• Repairing employees via career guidance, retraining programs, and encouragement of technical sector entrepreneurship

• Promoting the development of digital infrastructure and new job possibilities in technical domains.

Risks of inequality:

There are a number of ways in which technology may increase the gap between the rich and the poor, including:

• Unequal access to technology due to digital inequality and the high cost of technology, which keeps the newest models exclusive to the richest.

• The concentration of wealth as a result of big businesses using technology to their advantage and gathering and evaluating vast volumes of data, which improves their capacity to dominate markets and boost earnings.

In order to prevent technology from growing inequality and guarantee that its advantages are shared equitably across all societal groups, extensive regulations that incorporate the following are necessary:

- Supporting small and medium-sized businesses in their use of technology.

- Ensuring equal involvement in the digital economy.

- Taking apart significant monopolies in technology.

- Promoting technical innovation and research.

- Making sure technology companies pay fair taxes.

Without a doubt, technology has completely altered every area of our lives, including the ways in which we work, interact, think, and learn. However, it's important to keep in mind that, like any other tool, technology is a strong instrument that can be used for good or bad.

- The positive side:

Interacting with one another faster and more easily

Assisting us in completing tasks more quickly and successfully.

Facilitating our gain of knowledge and information.

Helping to improve education and healthcare.

Stimulating innovation and generating job opportunities.

It contributes to creating new job opportunities.

-The negative side:

Spread propaganda and false information.

Watch and spy people.

Influence elections and affect public opinion.

Lead poverty and unemployment.

Cause depression and addiction.

Leads to addiction and depression.

Responsibility:

• Make ethical and responsible use of technology.

• Recognize the dangers associated with technology and use it to advance humanity.

• Help technology advance in a way that enhances good and reduces evil.

It is our duty to see to it that it is applied morally and sensibly in order to further the common good.

Lastly, we would like to hear about your opinions and personal experiences with technology and how it has benefited you and how we can all use it more.