Can We Build a Technology to Reduce our Dependence on Technology?

In the face of rapid technological advancements, we often find ourselves in a paradoxical situation where we grow more dependent on technology despite our best efforts to simplify and sustain human reliance on simpler methods. Yet, there arise a few examples where our reliance on technology appears less paramount.

Ecological Farming

Ecological farming can indeed be an example of a technology that helps us to be less dependent on more complicated forms of technology. This approach not only restores the natural balance of agricultural practices but also ensures sustainability. Traditionally, agriculture has relied on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation systems, which contribute to soil degradation and environmental pollution. By adopting ecological farming practices, such as crop rotation, natural pest control, and agroforestry, we can significantly reduce our dependence on these chemical-laden systems.

A further step could be trading one complicated technology for simpler technologies that accomplish the same end. For instance, instead of relying on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), we can use traditional breeding methods to develop crops that naturally resist diseases and pests. This would make our farming less dependent on the intricate technology behind GMOs, which often requires special equipment and expertise.

Advanced DNA Editing and Synthetic Biology

Very complicated technologies such as gene editing and synthetic biology could potentially make us less dependent on what people may call technology in a colloquial sense. However, living organisms themselves are technically more complicated technologies than anything made out of metal.

Consider the potential of synthetic organisms to produce gasoline or rocket fuel, thereby making oil rigs obsolete. Although this may seem like a revolutionary development, it's important to recognize that synthetic bacteria would be a far more complicated technology, even if the process of producing the good might be simpler. Designing and maintaining these synthetic organisms would still require considerable technological sophistication.

A more ambitious goal in the field of synthetic biology is to incorporate advanced capabilities directly into the human genome. For example, we could engineer the human genome to include the ability to see in the dark, making night vision goggles obsolete. This would be a significant step towards reducing our reliance on technological interventions in our daily lives.

Artificial Intelligence and Generalized AI

The ultimate dream in the AI community is to create an advanced generalized artificial intelligence (AGI) that we can control and which develops its own technology to meet our needs. This AGI could become a computer we can talk to and ask for things to happen for us. It would develop its own technology to meet our needs, including recreating current processes to meet our needs in a more ecological and sustainable way.

While this would seemingly reduce our direct dependence on technology, it would rely on far more complicated technologies for our sustenance. The crux is whether this reliance would feel or truly be less. For instance, modern farming practices today may feel labor-intensive, but they are made possible through the use of tractors, drones, and other machines, which are undoubtedly complex technologies in their own right.

Philosophical and Technological Approaches

The paradox between technological determinism and uncertainty lies in the desire to shift to a better order. Evolution is the default, while ideals such as immortality and empathy require deliberate efforts. The key to addressing this paradox lies in the various approaches we can take:

Randomization: Unconstrained by knowledge, nature, or society. Expertise: Utilizing guidebooks, historical archives, or machine learning to enhance knowledge and decision-making. Separation of institutions: Creating gaps that can lead to new innovations. Reduction of options: Through systems like slavery under elitism or the nuclear calculus, which can lead to unintended consequences. Population increase: Making each individual's share of resources seem smaller. Automation: Technologies that require no ongoing human attention. Utopia: Minimizing suffering through various means, including euthanasia. Thought experiments: Including solipsism, which explores the nature of reality.

By leveraging these approaches, we can navigate the complex relationship between technological dependence and innovation, striving to create a more sustainable and less complex future for humanity.