Module 5 – Septemeber 28. 2025
“The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology.” – Dr. E.O. Wilson
Technology has always been a double-edged sword.
As it develops, it becomes more powerful, cheaper, and more widely accessible. I’ve seen my phone turn into a professional grade camera and notebooks turn into ipads.
The accessibility of technology has been highly beneficial. For instance, medical devices, renewable energy, or global communication apps like WhatsApp. But the very same qualities can also be dangerous, making exponentially advancing technologies easier to misuse and harder to control.
When I hear about AI writing news articles or automated systems replacing cashiers, the growing lack of human connection in our society becomes really clear. Technology was made to help people, but now it is often used in ways that take advantage of those who are already struggling. Low-income workers are losing jobs, older people have a hard time keeping up with new systems, and people without access to technology or education are getting left out.
For instance, one of the biggest tradeoffs of technology is the way it increases our fragility as audiences. This makes us more likely to read misinformation, fall for deepfakes, or just feel drained by the constant flood of content we take in. Social media also pushes speed and strong reactions instead of giving us space to think, which makes it harder to understand what we are seeing and to stay connected to the world in a real way.
Moreover, the spread of misinformation has become alarmingly rampant, impacting a variety of topics such as politics, news, and even our personal relationships.
A recent example of this is Trump’s statements about Tylenol, where he told pregnant people to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary, even though there is no scientific evidence to support that claim. This shows how just about anyone can post anything online without thinking about the impact it might have, and how little is done to stop false information from spreading.
The expansion of technology also raises critical questions about which sectors should remain human-centered. Artificial intelligence has been proven to be efficient in many areas, but efficiency is not always superior to human judgment or empathy.
Do we really want a computer deciding who gets out of jail, or robots trying to take the place of real teachers?
I know I definitely don’t.
There is an irreplaceable human element in these roles such as an understanding of context, morality, and compassion that a machine simply cannot replicate.
Wilson’s words remind me that while our tools have evolved to a god-like scale, our emotions and institutions lag behind. The challenge is not to stop technological growth, but to guide it so it can strengthen society.
XIOMIDIA 