Vancouver conference seeks solution to dark side of tech

[source]http://en.prothomalo.com/science-technology/news/173878/Vancouver-conference-to-grapple-with-dark-side-of

At a conference where thinkers and luminaries gather to discuss world-changing ideas and innovations, the talk is shifting to the dark side.

This year’s theme of the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference starting Tuesday in Vancouver is “Age of Amazement,” but with a keen eye on unintended consequences.

The gathering comes amid growing fears about a loss of privacy in the digital world, and a race to artificial intelligence and robotics which could spin out of control.

“The future is amazing, but there is good amazing and there is amazing terrifying,” TED curator Chris Anderson told AFP.

“There is going to be an intense debate on what we think of the future. We are embracing those fears that the world may have gone mad in one way, but we are also embracing innovations, science and technology.”

The TED community includes scientists, artists, activists, politicians and superstar entrepreneurs such as founders of Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Netflix.

This year’s speakers include Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and star Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, whose winning investments include early bets on Amazon and Google. Former US vice president Al Gore, a long-time member of the TED community, will host a discussion on climate change at the conference Anderson expected heated debate on the potential dangers as well as the benefits of new technologies. “Is the world making progress or, despite our best efforts, are we making things worse?” he asked rhetorically.

“I think people are astonished and disturbed by a lot of the technology we have built