This article is extremely relevant to what we discussed in class a couple of weeks ago.  When there is technological innovation, there are both intended and unintended consequences.  Do the acceptable benefits of a new technology outweigh the possible unintended misuses?  In this Wall Street Journal article, they use the example of the BinCam.  BinCam is an example of a new “smart” technology that includes sensors and cameras on everyday objects.  What BinCam does, is every time you close your kitchen garbage can, it snaps a photo.  This photo is then analyzed by a web service.  You are then given points for being “green” and recycling things you’re supposed to or having points deducted for disposing of recyclables in the trash.  Then the photo is posted on your Facebook account.  This sounds like something that is good for the environment, how could there be unintended misuses?

The author describes how these new “smart” technologies are going to become more invasive into our lives.  Soon, it will not be competing for recycling points against your Facebook friends.  There will be smart forks to tell us if we’re eating too fast, smart toothbrushes to tell us to brush more and smart kitchens to tell us that two ingredients don’t go together.  What is wrong with this?  The answer is out loss of autonomy.  Humans aren’t creative and responsible because we’re told what we “should” be doing by technology.  We are creative and responsible because we make mistakes, try new things, and generally enjoy doing things we shouldn’t do from time to time.

For now is smart technology like BinCam is mostly “good” smart.  That means that although the technology can deduct points, the user still has the option to disregard it all together.  But what happens when there are smart technologies that can’t be avoided?  The author describes these as “bad” smart.  Even though these bad smart technologies sometimes have good intentions, it completely removes the free will of a human user.  These choice removing technologies for now are driving sensors and facial recognition sensors.  However, there are endless possibilities in the future for technologies to be developed that remove the choice of a human, and the consequences won’t be so beneficial.

Would any of you use a “good” smart technology, such as BinCam, a scale that tweeted your weight to your followers, or a pill bottle that “pings” the pharmacy when your medication is low?

What other intended benefits or unintended misuses can you see coming from smart technology?