New Tech in 2018: Most Dystopian

Amazon takes employee monitoring to the next level, much like fictional mega-corporations in dystopian stories.The company got approval for new tech.This technology lets Amazon track employee locations in real time. A wristband monitors movements, buzzing if workers leave their assigned job.

Amazon frames this tech positively. They claim it boosts warehouse efficiency by directing workers and ensuring correct item packaging. Still, something is questionable.This tracking feels a bit dystopian. Amazon watches every move for labor savings. Employees get no secret breaks.Amazon tracks employee locations just to save labor. No more secret Amazon breaks; the company monitors every move.

Like other scary new tech, Deep Voice emerged with altruistic goals.The new voice-to-text AI copies a user's voice and makes an accurate copy in under 60 seconds. Though creepy, Deep Voice has potential good uses.New voice-to-text AI copies a user's voice and makes an eerily accurate copy in under 60 seconds. Deep Voice sounds creepy, though.Some find Deep Voice too accurate for comfort. Its quick imitation raises fears about fraud. People could use Deep Voice for identity theft scams or mimic public figures' voices. This could help create fake news to fuel online theories. Thankfully, Deep Voice is still in beta testing. Developers might address concerns before release, calming fears.Google announced in 2018 plans for smart home technologies to help with parenting.

Some people find Deep Voice a little.Deep Voice is too.Deep Voice is too accurate for comfort. Because it makes spot-on imitations so fast, people worry about fraud. Users could use Deep Voice for identity theft scams. It also mimics public figures' voices. This makes creating fake news easier, which could feed online conspiracy theories. Deep Voice is not past beta testing. Developers might address worries before release, calming fears for consumers.

Google announced in 2018 it plans smart home technologies.Google designed these technologies to help with parenting.Monitoring systems watch children. They alert adults to bad behavior. The gadget also disciplines by cutting a child's phone access if they misbehave.

Google wants new tech to track if children complete chores using cameras, microphones, and motion sensors. If a chore is missed, the device punishes the child and alerts the parents. This technology also acts as a discipline tool in the home, periodically suggesting ways parents can improve behavior, like scheduling more family time or dinners.

This device feels invasive for two reasons. First, constant computer monitoring is intrusive; Google's access to user data remains unclear. Second, many see automating parenting—a task needing deep thought—as a sign of a future losing human elements.

Boston Dynamics frequently works withThese technologies are terrifying.Each new robot seems more impressive and horrifying than the last. The latest development is no exception.SpotMiniThis quadruped robot moves across any terrain fast. An attachable fifth limb gives it dexterity that rivals humans.

The latest SpotMini can open doors. Boston Dynamics' video shows the robot easily overpowering any human blocking its path. When a human tries to stop the dog-like robot from opening a door, the robot fights back repeatedly and wins. Boston Dynamics claimed this test ensured SpotMini could "adjust to disturbances" and "tolerate and respond" to them.

Human interference is a "disturbance" the robot is built to overpower. When the robo-apocalypse hits, these robots will definitely be on the front line.

In April 2018, developers at MIT's Media Lab announced they built a device that couldread users' mindsThe AlterEgo headset picks up muscle signals from inner speech. This transcribes user thoughts and sends them to a computer. AlterEgo lets users find information by thinking about it, removing the need to type a Google search. AlterEgo has a 92% transcription accuracy. Voice software usually hits 95%. AlterEgo already follows simple commands, like controlling a Roku or playing digital chess.

Creators aim for people to talk to AI devices like Siri and Alexa silently. AlterEgo disturbs people by showing modern tech can read minds—a fear from many dystopian novels. This device's abilities are unsettling. Given privacy fears about smart TVs, could your thoughts actually be tracked and sold to advertisers?

Soon, trusting any video online will be impossible. A new program named FakeApp can photoshop anyone's face into any video with hyper-realistic accuracy.FakeApp makes face swapping hyper-realistic. People already use the tech for questionable actions. Beyond using this app to spread fake news or impersonate political figures, people swap faces of FakeApp lets you put adult film stars onto famous people.without their permission.

What is FakeApp's real goal? Some advocates claim the technology was not made to cause harm.Instead, it streamlines tech for creation, making CGI-like images easier for regular people. This offers benefits. For instance, an amateur filmmaker can make realistic special effects without expensive software. FakeApp clearly has high abuse potential since the app frequently makes hyper-realistic adult videos. High-profile women like Michelle Obama is featured.are placed in adult scenes.

Not everyone uses this tech for bad things. Some people just want to put Nicolas Cage in every movie.

Sex dolls are not new. But in 2018, one company launched a new sex doll brand called Samantha, making the controversial tech even more so. Samantha has a "family mode" setting, which reduces her suggestive talk so kids can interact with her. Some families owning a Samantha let their kids play and even tell the doll feels like family.

Some worry about how reliable family mode is and if wrong words might slip out. Still, some ethicists and psychologists fear how this AI brand could affect a child. Academics state the doll might harm young girls because they might accept the doll's unrealistic beauty and behavior standards.

Since early 2016, Amazon has pushed its facial recognition software, Rekognition, to police agencies. The software is Amazon markets its facial recognition technology as a tool.that can "detect, analyze, and compare faces for a wide variety of user verification, cataloging, people counting, and public safety use cases." The software checks "billions" of images and videos daily, learning from new data.

Verge reports on Amazon's facial recognition technology tapping into police body cameras and public surveillance systems.Amazon's facial recognition technology can access police body cameras and public surveillance systems. This sounds helpful at first. But groups like the American Civil Liberties Union think this tech lets bad actors conduct mass surveillance on the public.The ACLU suspects Rekognition lets the government identify "people of interest," like undocumented immigrants or Black activists. Big Brother could watch you soon.ACLU fears Amazon's facial recognition, Rekognition, could be misused. It might identify people of interest, like undocumented immigrants or Black activists, for the government. Big Brother could watch you soon.

A scary police force is getting new crime-stopping tech. Now, Chinese police officers watch the population more easily using this.China faces authoritarianism due to strong censorship laws and long lists of banned words and images. Citizens worry the glasses track political dissidents or aid in racial profiling. This potential for abuse makes people fear the glasses cause more harm than good.In 2018, Google introduced Duplex, a new smartphone feature. Duplex, the AI assistant, aims to simplify life by making important calls. Duplex can scan your calendar to schedule things like doctor visits or haircuts. Duplex mimics real human voices, even adding words like "Um." People dread phone calls, but this device might help. Internet commentators already discuss Duplex's scary dystopian future.

China has a history of authoritarianism, so this is not surprising."The program is reportedly codenamed 'Dove'"In late June 2018, various news outlets reported that over 30 Chinese government and military agencies use robotic, bird-like drones.

Google launched Duplex, a smartphone feature. The AI assistant aims to simplify lives by handling calls. Duplex scans your calendar to schedule things, like doctor visits or haircuts. Duplex mimics real human voices, even adding 'Um.' This helps people who hate long phone calls. However,internet commentatorsCommentators already discuss Duplex's scary dystopian potential.

AI impersonating humans has been a trope in sci-fi. Duplex accesses huge user data, from credit cards to Google Maps locations. Bad actors could use Duplex to steal data by impersonating people. What if AI gets sentience? What would Duplex do with that sensitive data? This future scenario is far off, but it remains frightening.

The program is reportedly codenamed 'Dove'.https://t.co/owRX97ub8M

In late June 2018,various news outletsover 30 Chinese government and military agencies use robotic,bird-like dronesChinese government agencies use 'Dove' drones to spy on citizens. Song Bifeng, a professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an, led the operation.

Citizens began spotting the drones across China. These drones feature realistic flapping wings and mimic bird dives and turns. Yang Wenqing, a member of Song's team, told...The report told about Chinese government agencies spying on their citizens with dove drones.South Morning China Postsaid that "the scale is still small... We believe the technology has good potential for large-scale use in the future... it has some unique advantages to meet the demand for drones in the military and civilian sectors."

The current drone flock imitates about 90% of a real dove's movements. They are nearly silent, making them hard to spot from the ground. The team stated the drones look so real that living birds flock with them. These doves have an HD camera, GPS, a flight control system, and a data link that sends data to remote spots via satellite. Unlike carbon-based drones, these doves have this tech.

A camera with a brain sounds like a plot twist in a future dystopia, but these devices are for purchase now. The tiny smart camera, Google dubbed the camera Clips, an AI brain that chooses what to photograph for you., has AI technology that helps it find people, places, scenery, and anything else a person might want to photograph. Users attach Clips to clothing or hang it in a room. If Clips finds something interesting, it takes a picture automatically. The camera recognizes good light and framing and uses facial recognition software to learn familiar faces.

Clips offers benefits. The camera frees your hands while sightseeing or partying, letting you get great photos without fumbling with a camera. Privacy concerns exist, though: the camera constantly watches you and your surroundings. Clips can easily covertly photograph strangers without their consent. Some users worry if Clips sends captured images back to Google. Despite the convenience, a camera making choices and recording every move feels strange.

If you are not scared by Amazon's Alexa, Facebook decided to surpass the voice-activated, in-home "robot" system with its newFacebook's Portal device acts like an Alexa with a built-in spy camera.. This video camera gizmo mobilizes video chatting. It is voice-activated, like Alexa and Google Home, but includes a 360-degree eye that tracks your movement while you cook dinner and talk to your boyfriend in Germany.

Facebook delayed the tech launch because of the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, which involved Facebook in 2018. However, the company announced it will move forward with the video camera in 2019.

Skeptics claim the tech gathers more user data. They point to the company's past security breaches. One tech writer stated, "For intimate products—video chat, messaging, kitchen-friendly panopticons—rely on companies whose business model does not oppose user privacy."

On June 7, 2018, Uber...Uber applied for a patent.Uber applied for a patent for a "computer-implemented method of data processing for predicting user state." This patent shows a new AI form. It determines the app user's "state," meaning whether the person asking for a ride is drunk, high, orinebriated in any other way.

The new system lets Uber spot small user behavior changes. This includes walking speed, odd typos, the phone's angle, and if the phone sways strangely—or drunk.

Uber could use this data to change services for clients. For instance, if Uber sees a user is drunk, it suggests a well-lit pickup spot or a driver with more experience. However, Uber needs data from sober users to compare against these odd behaviors. Privacy advocates worry this system could be misused in many ways.

CNN reported that103 Uber drivers faced accusations of sexual assault or abuse between 2014 and 2018, and many victims were drunk. This new technology could help predators target vulnerable people. Others fear what Uber will do with the data it collects or who they sell it to.Between 2014 and 2018, many Uber victims were drunk. This new technology lets predators target unsuspecting, vulnerable people easier. Others fear what Uber will do with collected data or who they sell it to.

notoriously mysterious.Since inebriated clients are less likely to argue about charges, some believe the company could charge more.While you could always

technicallycreate a version of yourself in The Sims. Sims creator Will Wright took that oddity further with Proxi. The mobile game builds a digital AI based on you. The more you interact with Proxi—sharing memories, texts, social actions, and more—the better it becomes your digital self. Essentially, you back yourself up on your phone, which feels more than just a little dystopian.Proxi lets you create an AI version of yourself in The Sims. Sims creator Will Wright took that oddity further with Proxi. The mobile game builds a digital AI based on you. More you interact with Proxi—sharing memories, texts, social interactions, and more—the better it becomes your digital self. You back yourself up on your mobile phone; this feels dystopian.

.This includes lawyers..

A study pitted lawyers against a new computer. The computer beat the lawyers in every category. Lawyers took over an hour for tasks. The computer finished in 26 seconds. The computer was much faster and less error-prone. Future arrests might see a computer build your legal defense.

Astronauts face isolation for months. This causes low morale. Researchers at Florida Polytechnic University have an answer. They designed a new space suit, called the "Smart Sensory Skin.""Smart Sensory Skin" includes wireless sensors. These sensors track heart rate, blood pressure, and fluid buildup around joints. If something is wrong, the suit adjusts temperature and oxygen to lift an astronaut's mood.Researchers are designing happy suits for astronauts. These new suits feature wireless sensors. These sensors monitor heart rate, blood pressure, and fluid buildup around joints. If something looks wrong, the suit automatically changes temperature and oxygen exposure to lift the astronaut's mood.

This new tech seems good. However, it reminds people of mood-altering devices in dystopian novels. This mirrors the Penfield mood organs in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?""Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"Some argue feeling all emotions, even bad ones, keeps people healthy. Only time will show if the space suit causes more harm than good.

Dystopian societies often harm the environment through pollution. Clean air is scarce in most cities. Entrepreneurs now cash in on the desire to breathe easy. The Flow by Plume Labs addresses this.Plume Labs created The Flow. This portable device monitors air quality around the user. It alerts people to dangerous pollutants in the area. This helps you avoid certain neighborhoods, though having this device is sad.The Flow monitors local air quality for the user. It tells you about dangerous pollutants nearby. This helps you choose areas to avoid, even though the device itself is a sad necessity.

Humanity faces extinction through many paths; global famine is a frightening one. Norway built a doomsday vault to counter this possibility.Norway built a doomsday vault to prepare for famine.The doomsday vault stores all the world's agricultural seeds. This protects food sources from global disaster. Climate change melting glaciers flooded the facility in 2016, nearly destroying humanity's last hope. The facility gets a redesign in 2018 to make it more apocalypse proof.