Why Computer Viruses are a Preview to Human Virus Creation (BioTerror)

Here is a simple analogy to help you see why real-world viruses are coming to a theater near you:

Age of Information (Digital)

1. The “digital” or “computing” age is the result of continuous improvements to electronic circuits.
2. This “digital” age created, shared, and stored lots of data/information.
3. Naturally, digital viruses were developed, often times by a single person. The viruses ‘designed ranged from annoying, to malicious behavior, to generating ad or other income, to theft.
4. As the digital age accelerated, so did networking, and with such viruses were distributed with increasing speed, and infections could reach millions instead of just a few computers

Age of Biology / Genetic Engineering

As the world moves from electronic circuits to create data, the next step of miniaturization is in biology or the physical world. Enter biotech.

1. We are currently transitioning from modifying the digital world, to modifying the real world at the DNA level. Science already modifies genes, such as with GMO foods, gene therapy, and gene targeting/editing tools such as CRISPR and TALEN. In 2018 Chinese babies, Lulu and Nana, have now even had their DNA modified.
2. It logically follows that modifying genes in microorganisms, with the ability to create/distribute pathogens, will eventually become available to governments, and later, ordinary people.
3. Some biologists predict likewise “Right now, recreating pretty much any virus can be done relatively easily. It requires a certain amount of expertise and resources and knowledge,” according to microbiology professor Michael Imperiale.
4. Therefore, like building a computer virus, it will be fairly easy to do.
5. Regulation will not matter as attempting to impose controls on such technology will be like trying to stop people from doing drug.
6. AI will amplify this risk, as it will teach anyone how to do it.
7. In the name of “safety,” social/govt. groups will try to restrict citizens from having such access, while other citizens will declare freedom of information and autonomy from govt (the military will likely possess it though).
8. The rise in globalism is to the spreading of such pathogens as networking is to the age of computing: it will increase the speed and risk of global infections. Completely isolated communities may become the end result if a global pandemic occurs.

Biotech promises to create cures to all kinds of problems, and it is likely to create numerous problems as well. So which will develop quicker? the new diseases or the new cures? Will people need to increasingly adopt technology just in order to cope with technology?

If anything, we will also be regulated even further in attempts to control the risk of a few bad apples. For example, a bill has been proposed in Australia that would prohibit owning instructions for 3d printed guns (normal guns are illegal there as well).

Why Technology Leads to Tyranny & Existential Risk

So, freedom of speech and information is nice in theory, but it probably will not last. The thought police (George Orwell’s sci-fi book “1984”) and thought control are the inevitable products of advancing tech.

I imagine a future where any child can simply have his super-AI enabled robot (just needs an internet connection) not only tell him how to make a massive bomb (e.g. nuclear) but also use its built-in a molecular/atomic printer for constructing one in just a few minutes time.