RE. Saturday, April 16 edition entitled "Driverless cars? Because they can". Whether we like it or not, technological advances are here to stay and if we don't keep up with developments, we run the risk of falling behind. I spent last year working away from my usual vocation, in a slightly different field of expertise. I returned to the capacity I am accustomed to in February this year and the technological advances in just one year are amazing.
What took 10 years to develop 10 years ago took five years to develop five years ago and what took five years now takes less than a year. On that basis, I think the article is very realistic. In fact, five years ago I would have had to start my PC up to write this article, which I am confidently and competently writing on an Apple iPhone. It is amazing the stares I sometimes get from the less technologically savvy for recording my notes from the sermon and following the assigned readings in church by using the Holy Bible app from the device I am using now. Having said that, I still prefer to read from the hard copy when I am rostered to, from the pulpit.
I think that in 30 years' time, cars and roads as we know them today may well be a thing of the past. Our future mode of transport could very well be drones. The roads and motorways as we know them today may become droneways.
Land transport authorities, never fear. Instead of collecting revenue from speeding tickets, you will be able to collect from drone owners who allow their drones to stray from designated droneways.
Technological advances are inevitable. The big question for me 15 years ago, which has become even more prominent today is whether everyone will have the values base necessary to operate the technology they are empowered with responsibly, ethically and morally. A question for me as an educator is what spiritual basis can I apply to these values in a secular education system to prevent them from just being superficial rules. Without a sound values system evolving from a common spiritual base, we will most certainly have our driverless cars (drones) crashing into each other.
