April 1, 2003
Can Anyone Control Technology?... Let's take five with Moira Gunn. This is "Five Minutes".
Post-Vietnam and pre-Desert Storm, I worked as an engineer on some military weapons systems. I had no problem with it, because I saw it merely as peacetime posturing. I believed we had learned our lesson in Vietnam.
Whether I was just being naïve or simply rationalizing, my complacency turned to shock when just hours before Desert Storm launched, I received an urgent call to fix one of my systems. It was a decision I had to make on the spot, and while I was no longer under contract to do so, I was certainly the best person for the job.
I had occasion to recount this story several years ago at a small reception for Lemelson-MIT Prize winners. Standing beside me was Doug Engelbart, best known to all of us as the inventor of the computer mouse. He became quite agitated and forcefully rebuked me for working on anything military. "Technology," he said, "was to be used for good."
I surprised myself, when out of my mouth came an unexpected - and not terribly diplomatic - reply. I said, "I guess you're just lucky that Patriot missile systems don't use mice."
To his credit, Doug stopped. He put his head down and closed his eyes.
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What ensued was a very sobering discussion about how we as technologists cannot control what happens to our work, no matter how well intentioned or innocently envisioned. And the assurance of its use for the betterment of humankind becomes more difficult every day.
Take this latest military action in Iraq. It's unveiled a stunning array of technology at every level, and many engineers, programmers and scientists are seeing their past efforts incorporated directly into combat technology and other key aspects of the war.
Like Doug Engelbart, many didn't realize their technology had a military application: from designing mobile communications to enabling computers to operate in rugged environments, from developing safety sensors to detect harmful chemicals to wedding GPS with any number of devices. Certainly, there are vastly more peaceful applications than not, but to be sure, there are non-peaceful uses as well.
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The reactions of the engineers, scientists and programmers who will speak with me about this have ranged from distress and consternation to a beaming sense of patriotism and pride. No matter what their reaction, it has never been more clear that once you build a technology, it has a life of its own.
To be fair, this has always been true. You carve a stick, and someone may use it as a club. And if you don't actually witness the person using your stick as a club, it's relatively easy to ignore this use.
Regardless of political stance or position on this particular military action, it is important that everyone understands this downside of technology. You then have the choice to remove yourself completely from participating. Of course, this may also mean you must choose another career.
Technology will always be used for purposes beyond the original vision and intent of the inventor; in fact, in its most positive light, we call that "innovation."
Still, I do know one thing for sure. If you decide to work on weapons systems, be sure that is your specific and conscious intention. And other thing: Prepare yourself for a major reality check when they are actually used.
I'm Moira Gunn. This is Five Minutes.
