Can We Survive Technology?

‘Can we survive technology?’ is a question that would have sounded absurd in the nineteenth century, but today it is pressing and real.

The present crisis is caused by an acceleration in technological progress outstripping human institutional development.

In the past, geographic distance provided a safety margin. A war or environmental catastrophe in one part of the world did not instantly engulf the entire planet. But with nuclear weapons and automated intercontinental missiles, the entire globe has shrunk to a single point.

Furthermore, automated electronic computing will soon process data and execute control loops at speeds millions of times faster than human reaction times.

Prohibiting technological development is impossible; human curiosity and competitive pressures will not allow it. The only safety lies in mature judgment, patience, and continuous adaptation of our international systems.