Hot Spots in Computer Programming

• Artificial Intelligence

In a number of areas, artificial intelligence is considered to have surpassed humans in proficiency (including but not limited to mathematics, language translation, or even chess). As AI's become smarter than humans in more areas, are programmers sure that they will still be able to fully comprehend and control the things the AI does? What if a dangerous and powerful machine understands a general command we give, but not the intention we have in giving it? (See "Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence")

• Cybersecurity

Anything networked can be hacked, and while networking things such as traffic lights, fridges, or cars can make systems far more effective in many ways, we also open the door to hackers in very real and dangerous ways. In 2015, some hackers wirelessly took over the electronic systems in a Chrysler Jeep, gaining control of the dashboard functions, the steering, the transmission, and even the brakes. How can we keep so many objects in so many homes completely safe from attacks? (See "Manufacturers Remain Slow to Recognize Cybersecurity Risks")

• Internet Censorship

Censorship has been a hot topic for hundreds of years in many fields, but few (if any) innovations have enabled the free exchange of knowledge like the internet. It can be incredibly helpful to have worlds of information at our fingertips, but the internet also bypasses several economic, political, and social boundaries as a medium of communication and knowledge. And while governments have too much influence and too little understanding to truly fix any of these problems, programmers are left to try to manage a flood of data larger than the world has ever seen and hope it doesn't drown us. (See "Everything You Need to Know About Europe's New Copyright Directive")

Of these issues, censorship is arguably the most difficult problem to solve. Different countries have different standards and rules, but the internet has no rules and no international boundaries. How can we control something that lives in a world of its own? How can we apply time-tested solutions to problems that don't follow the rules--where anything can be duplicated and shared over any distance? We can already see the effect the internet's freedom has had on American politics, but what effect will it have in the future on international relations? 


Image Credits: Image via www.vpnsrus.com

A False Sense of Security

                           
Feeling secure is very subjective. Some people spend a lot of money on the very latest home security systems that sound an alarm and inform the intruder that the police are on their way. Others purchase simple alarms that attach to the top of the door frame and the door, and when the mechanisms inside are separated far enough (when the door is opened) they beep loudly. Some merely post an octagonal alarm system sign in the front flower bed without having any actual system installed. Still others do nothing other than locking their doors and windows.

I remember the first time I tried to pick a lock. It took me five minutes. I had purchased the pick set off Amazon for $15.97. With a little bit of practice, I was able to pick a lock within 15 seconds.

If it’s so easy for anyone anywhere to purchase a cheap pick set, then why do people bother locking their doors, anyway? Even my youngest sister picked a lock with 7 seconds as her fastest time. Clearly, locks do little to nothing to truly protect us.

I think we have locks on our doors because it provides us a SENSE of security.

Thomas Hobbes wrote that men have a natural sense of distrust against one another. Men go against each other competitively, because they distrust the other party, and for glory. Hobbes says that men continually act as though they will be attacked, and that men essentially are at war even during times of relative peace.

It is true that locks are enough to deter many low-bracket criminals. Is this enough or do we need more? If we are continuously at war with each other, is it worth it to bother with higher-end securities?

Image Credit for the Doorknob: https://www.hometips.com/repair-fix/door-lock-latch-problems.html

Image Credit for the Burglar: https://www.komando.com/happening-now/268699/3-d-printed-bump-keys-let-burglars-walk-right-into-your-home/all