Joy argues that developing technologies provide a much greater danger to humanity than any

technology before has ever presented. In particular, he focuses on engineering, nanotechnology and
robotics. He argues that 20th-century technologies of destruction such as the nuclear bomb were limited
to large governments, due to the complexity and cost of such devices, as well as the difficulty in
acquiring the required materials. He uses the novel The White Plague as a potential nightmare scenario,
in which a mad scientist creates a virus capable of wiping out humanity.

Joy also voices concern about increasing computer power. His worry is that computers will eventually
become more intelligent than we are, leading to such dystopian scenarios as robot rebellion. He notably
quotes Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber) on this topic.

Joy expresses concerns that eventually the rich will be the only ones that have the power to control the
future robots that will be built, and that these people could also decide to take life into their own hands
and control how humans continue to populate and reproduce.[2] He started doing more research into
robotics and people that specialize in robotics, and outside of his own thoughts he tried getting others
opinions on the topic. Rodney Brooks, a specialist in robotics, believes that in the future there will be a
merge between humans and robots.[3] Joy mentioned Hans Moravec’s book ‘’Robot: Mere Machine to
Transcendent Mind’’ where he believed there will be a shift in the future where robots will take over
normal human activities, but with time humans will become okay with living that way.[4]

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Summary of Bill Joy’s, “Why the future doesn’t need us,”

February 15, 2016Futurism - Warnings

Bill Joy at World Economic Forum (Davos), 2003-01 (cropped).jpg

Bill Joy (1954 – ) is an American computer scientist who co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982 and
served as chief scientist at the company until 2003. His now famous Wired magazine essay, “Why the
future doesn’t need us,” (2000) sets forth his deep concerns over the development of modern
technologies.[i]
Joy traces his worries to a discussion he had with Ray Kurzweil at a conference in 1998. He had read an
early draft of Kurzweil’s The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence and
found it deeply disturbing. Subsequently, he encountered arguments by the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.
Kaczynski argued that if machines do all of society’s work, as they inevitably will, then we can: a) let the
machines make all the decisions; or b) maintain human control over the machines.

If we choose “a” then we are at the mercy of our machines. It is not that we would give them control or
that they would take control, rather, we might become so dependent on them that we would have to
accept their commands. If we choose “b” then control would be in the hands of an elite, and the masses
would be unnecessary. In that case, the tiny elite: 1) would exterminate the masses; 2) reduce their
birthrate so they slowly became extinct; or 3) become benevolent shepherds to the masses. The first
two scenarios entail our extinction, but even the third option is bad. In this last scenario, the elite would
fulfill all physical and psychological needs of the masses, while at the same time engineering the masses
to sublimate their desire for power. In this case, the masses might be happy, but they wouldn’t be free.
Joy finds Kaczynski’s arguments both convincing and troubling.

About this time Joy read Hans Moravec’s book Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind where he
found predictions similar to Kurzweil’s. Joy was especially concerned by Moravec’s claim that
technological superiors always defeat technological inferiors, as well as his claim that humans will
become extinct as they merge with the robots. Disturbed, Joy consulted other computer scientists who,
for the most part, agreed with these predictions.

Joy’s worries focus on the transforming technologies of the 21st century—genetics, nanotechnology,
and robotics (GNR). What is particularly problematic about them is their potential to self-replicate. This
makes them inherently more dangerous than 20th-century technologies—nuclear, biological, and
chemical weapons—which are expensive to build and require rare raw materials. By contrast, 21st-
century technologies allow for small groups or individuals to bring about massive destruction. Joy also
argues that, while we will soon achieve the computing power necessary to implement some of the
scenarios envisioned by Kurzweil and Moravec, we overestimate our design abilities. Such hubris may
lead to disaster.

For example, robotics is primarily motivated by the desire to be immortal—by downloading ourselves
into robotic bodies. But Joy doesn’t believe that we will be human after the download or that the robots
would be our children. As for genetic engineering, it will create new crops, plants, and eventually new
species including many variations of human species, but Joy fears that we don’t know enough to safely
conduct such experiments. And nanotechnology confronts the so-called “gray goo” problem—self-
replicating nanobots out of control. In short, we may be on the verge of killing ourselves. Is it not
arrogant, he wonders, to design a robot replacement species when we so often make design mistakes?
Joy concludes that we ought to relinquish these technologies before it’s too late. Yes, GNR may bring
happiness and immortality, but should we risk the survival or the species for such goals? Joy thinks not.

Summary – Genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics are too dangerous to pursue; we should abandon
them. (I think Joy’s call for relinquishment is unrealistic. For more see my peer-reviewed essay “Critique
of Bill Joy’s ‘Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us.’“)

________________________________________________________

[i] Bill Joy, “Why The Future Doesn’t Need Us,” Wired Magazine, April 2000.

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Is There A Future for Humanity?

June 25, 2020

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5 thoughts on “Summary of Bill Joy’s, “Why the future doesn’t need us,””

Len ArendsFebruary 15, 2016 at 12:40 pm

If the West doesn’t develop these technologies, the Chinese will.

mess1955February 15, 2016 at 12:49 pm

You are correct; someone will develop these technologies. And when the genie is out of the bottle it is
very hard to put it back. Better to figure out how to utilize and control them.

david conklinFebruary 15, 2016 at 5:31 pm

it may be arrogant, but its not the end of the design line. we are just creating first generation a.i. –
machines as smart as people. those machines will be the ones making the new robot overlords.

mess1955February 15, 2016 at 5:45 pm

probably won’t be us vs. them; rather we’ll incorporate new technology into our bodies and become
cyborgs. JGM

Van MoellerAugust 14, 2020 at 12:34 pm

I believe Mr. Joy is correct in his pessimism. Our society is rushing to embrace technologies of which we
have little understanding concerning their ultimate impact. Information and technology are developing
at an exponential pace. Our wisdom regarding them is not. Disasters like Chernobyl are inevitable. When
they happen with GNR the results could be disastrous to the point of unprecedented destruction.
Combine them with the already mature technologies of nuclear weapons, chemical and biological
warfare and intercontinental ballistic missiles and we are way over our heads.