This past spring, I had the honor of working with the Colson Center on a couple video explainers as part of their “What Would You Say?” series on Youtube.
Summer is right around the corner and it has been a busy season. As I finish up a few writing projects and get ready for the launch of an exciting new project in the technology ethics space at ERLC, I wanted to share two video resources with you that I hope will encourage, challenge, and cause you to think deeply about the role of technology in our lives and society. This past spring, I had the honor of working with the Colson Center on a couple video explainers as part of their “What Would You Say?” series on Youtube.
I wrote the scripts for two of the videos and really enjoyed working with the staff at the Colson Center. The first video dealt with the question of does technology make religion obsolete and the second answered some complex questions about gene editing and biotechnology. I encourage you to share these resources with others and use them in your churches.
Summary:
You’re in a conversation and someone says, “The human race doesn’t need religion anymore; technology is solving all of our problems.”
What would you say?
Technology today can seem miraculous. We’ve sent people to the moon, cured diseases that in the past killed millions, significantly reduced global poverty and hunger, and we have nearly limitless information constantly available, right at our fingertips. Why would we put our trust in anything else?
The next time someone says, “technology will solve all of our problems,” here are 3 things to keep in mind:
First, technology isn’t really good or bad, but it isn’t neutral either.
Second, science and technology can’t provide an answer for everything.
Third, technology can be a powerful force for good, but we shouldn’t blindly trust it.
Summary:
You’re in a conversation and someone says, “Gene editing can help us wipe out disease and will improve life for everyone.”
What would you say?
The next time someone says, “gene editing can help us wipe out disease and will improve life for everyone,” here are 3 things to remember:
First, just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.
Second, treating human life as disposable doesn’t make our society more humane.
Third, gene editing can’t deliver on its promise of control.
The Rundown
Exclusive: Twitter launches national campaign to boast local news – Sarah Fischer | Axios
Twitter on Monday will launch a major advertising and social media campaign urging people to follow local journalists and support their work.
Twitter expands Spaces to anyone with 600+ followers, details plans for tickets, reminders and more – Sarah Perez | Tech Crunch
Twitter Spaces, the company’s new live audio rooms feature, is opening up more broadly. The company announced today it’s making Twitter Spaces available to any account with 600 followers or more, including both iOS and Android users. It also officially unveiled some of the features it’s preparing to launch, like Ticketed Spaces, scheduling features, reminders, support for co-hosting, accessibility improvements and more.
How China turned a prize-winning iPhone hack against the Uyghurs – Patrick Howell O’Neill | MIT Technology Review
An attack that targeted Apple devices was used to spy on China’s Muslim minority—and US officials claim it was developed at the country’s top hacking competition.
Anyone can use this powerful facial-recognition tool — and that’s a problem – Rachel Metz | CNN Business
You probably haven’t seen PimEyes, a mysterious facial-recognition search engine, but it may have spotted you.
NRB Live at Lunch Panel Discusses Big Tech and Platform Censorship – Marissa Postell | NRB
On Wednesday, May 5, NRB Senior Vice President of Communications, Daniel Darling, hosted a panel of guests on NRB Live at Lunch to discuss big tech and platform censorship issues. Darling was joined by Ryan Anderson of the Ethics & Public Policy Center, Jason Thacker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and Craig DeRoche of Family Policy Alliance.