Is there a definitive answer to this question?  Probably not but on balance the boons can outweigh the banes provided one is prepared!

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT – BOON OR BANE?

What is technology and how did it evolve?

UNESCO defines technology as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. It encompasses tools, systems, and methods designed to enhance efficiency, solve problems, and improve quality of life”.  In essence, anything that results in efficiency for human kind, can be called technology.  The term, while not specifically mentioned, goes as far back as the start of human civilisation – 3.4 million years ago.  At the time, primitive humans built their own tools from many types of material as a means to live – hunting for food, having a shelter among others.  Indeed, the wheel was invented around 4000 BE – and as a result we are able to motor around everywhere using various modes of transport.  The Abacus was invented in c 2500 – 500 BCE, and is still in use today, although, not in most parts of the world!

So, if you think your laptop, smartphone, smart TV or even Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the start of technology – think again!  What we are seeing today has a long grounding in history and just as the use of technology by early humans changed their lives, today’s technology is doing the same for us – mostly good but clearly intermingled with both the bad and the ugly.

Boon or bane?

A boon is defined in most dictionaries as “something extremely useful, helpful or beneficial; a blessing or benefit”.  There can be little doubt that technology innovations over the years fit squarely in this definition.  Virtually everything we use today can be considered a boon that benefits us and makes our lives easier.  But do they really?  While we may consider them beneficial, in the ordinary sense of the word, the impact they have on our daily lives could, in some case, be considered a bane.

A bane is defined in most dictionaries with various words: “harm, ruin, curse, trouble, unhappiness, frustration, death, irritation”.  These are but a few, and quite frightening, and there are perhaps many more.  The question is, do the boons outweigh the banes?  Clearly there is no correct answer to this and it will often depend on individual perspective.

It is readily apparent that human kind has indeed benefited from today’s technology.  The Smartphone has been a boon – you can use it for more than just making a phone call!  However, how often does one go to a restaurant and see people scrolling on their phones rather than actually speaking to each other?  The art of simply having a chat is almost evaporating as is the art of writing.  So, despite all the advantages of a Smartphone, having one can also be a disadvantage in itself.  A simple example, but one that exemplifies society today.

Advantages of technology as we know it today

The comment from Bill Gates (see box) couldn’t be truer.  Our use of laptops as a means of communication and more, is now an everyday part of our lives.  Indeed, what Mr Gates said, has to be extended to our phones and tablets, all of which have become an extended appendage for us.

The fact that we can access information, make calls (both voice and video), manage our bank accounts, and have smart homes, among others, with just a swipe, has certainly revolutionised the way we communicate and manage our lives.  AI is now being used regularly to track what your customers want or need, manage a business’s inventory levels, and improve logistics.  And of course, we are now a society that can have food delivered home, or in your office, with simple apps, that also have a digital payment option.

But there is more; technology has made significant advances in the healthcare industry which have had a marked impact on mortality.  It will be recalled that the invention of penicillin resulted in a radical change in the medical profession.  Today the technology used has gone significantly further.  Remember the long waits in a doctor’s clinic to be seen?  Well today it can all be done online with what is commonly referred to as “telemedicine” and with this, you can consult a doctor anywhere in the world!

Add to that “wearables” such as watches, rings and various fitness trackers and one should, theoretically at least, be much fitter than they were even as little as 20 years ago!  The advent of AI has made diagnosis easier with the use of algorithms to analyse the results of the various tests you may need.

Education too has benefited considerably, and the use of technology during the Covid-19 pandemic is certainly a testament – even with pets and young kids often turning up during a class!  Again, there is much more with the advent of Virtual Reality and students being able to “visit” the world and much more in the learning process.  Adaptive Learning is also being used to ensure the strongest and weakest in a class can move at their own pace.

Disadvantages of technology as we know it today

Technology is often good for business bringing in efficiency and higher productivity leading to higher profitability, but the risk of job losses comes into the picture.  Having said that, there is not enough empirical evidence to suggest that this will be what will actually happen.  Advancing technology could equally result in retraining the workforce to handle different processes.

While it is clear that technology can be a huge boon for education, it must be applied with care.  The internet is a treasure trove of information – although not always accurate – and the temptation for students to use previously done research to support what they are doing or writing, needs careful supervision.  Schools are increasingly using software to ensure that plagiarism does not become the order of the day and with the AI this will become even more critical.  Of course, even the “digitally literate” struggle to differentiate the real from the fake.

Unfortunately, the increased use of modern technology has meant that humans are perhaps thinking and reasoning less – the new thinking seems to be “Google it”!  We no longer have to imagine things – the internet now does this for us.  With spelling and grammar checkers the norm today, humans are possibly finding it more difficult to write and think for themselves.  At a very simple level, ask yourselves how many phone numbers you have stored in your memory rather than on your phone!

Conflicts around the world are at an all-time high but wars are not what they used to be.  Wars are now being fought with less boots on the ground and more high-end technology such as drones and cruise missiles, which in some ways are the new weapons of mass destruction.  But the concern must be that if this technology falls in the wrong hands, the consequences could be dire.  Add to this the use of technology to disrupt elections and one can fully appreciate the problem.

On a lighter, but perhaps more morbid note, India’s Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care conducted a study over a six-year period from 2011 to 2017 and found that more people die from taking selfies that shark attacks!  India had the highest selfie deaths followed by Russia and the US.  This is probably more as a result of human carelessness than advancement in technology, but nevertheless, scary.

The really ugly

Perhaps the major downside of the technology revolution is social isolation.  The youth of today undoubtedly benefit from technology, but with an increasing amount of time being spent using it, the physical contact and interactions with other human beings is clearly on the decline.  Social media has become the means by which people “interact with friends” and this is not through physical contact but screen time.  The upshot, people are finding it increasingly difficult to interact in person which could in the long-run result in depression and loneliness.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, in a paper produced in 2018, notes that “suicide has ranked as the 10^th leading cause of death for all ages in the United States” since 2008.  The paper goes on to say: “In 2016, suicide became the second leading cause of death for ages 10–34 and the fourth leading cause for ages 35–54”. However, interestingly, global suicide rates are trending downwards.

While this may suggest that increased screen time by younger people is linked to a higher suicide rate, it is important to appreciate that the time spent on a device is not necessarily the cause.  What is more critical, and perhaps more difficult to control, is what is actually being viewed.  Using screen time for educational purposes cannot be faulted, but given what is available on the internet today, means that many maybe surfing dangerous and destructive sites.  Indeed, there are even sites and chatbots on how to commit suicide.

Digital technologies have been increasing almost exponentially in the last twenty or so years.  Currently the world is seeing significant leaps in the AI, machine learning and the cloud according to Financier Worldwide.  These have all been extremely positive but with these has come various other risks that are keeping many awake.

Cyber-attacks, some by AI agents, are a case in point and indeed probably the most significant threat.  Today the thought process is not that one has not experienced an attack but to be prepared for one that is bound to happen.

The time and energy that cyber attackers spend on finding ways to hack into a system or instigate a ransomware attack, is unbelievable.  One is left wondering why the same people do not use their extensive skills for something more useful to mankind!

The consequence of a cyber-attack is not just financial loss but also reputational, including the loss of trust on the part of your customers.  With data protection taking centre-stage these days, a cyber-attack could well see an organisation facing a major data breach, resulting in legal action and punitive penalties.  It is vital that organisations, and indeed individuals, have the correct systems in place to prevent an attack and this is perhaps where AI can play a big role.

“In a world of advanced synthetic media, AI literacy isn’t just about using AI tools – it’s about surviving in an AI-mediated reality where seeing and hearing are no longer believing”, said Dr Nadia Naffi in a paper produced by UNESCO in October 2025.  In other words, welcome to the world of deep fakes!  Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a deep fake as “a digital image, video, voice, etc. that has been convincingly generated or altered to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said”.

Deep fakes are effectively social engineering and have been used to perpetrate multi-million-dollar frauds and as a means to extort money, but often attack women and children.  In January 2024, a UK engineering firm based in Hong Kong was the subject of a USD 25 million scam when an employee received an email believed to have come from the CFO inviting him to a call.  It later transpired that the employee was the only real person on the call with everyone else cloned.  The upshot, he authorised transfers totalling USD 25.6 million based on instructions given on the call!  There are many other similar examples including one which used the image of Elon Musk to “promote a crypto currency investment opportunity”.  So, even the richest man in the world can be used as a deep fake!  A deep fake call purportedly from President Joe Biden also urged voters not to vote in the New Hampshire primaries.

Boon or Bane?

Is there a definitive answer to this question?  Probably not but on balance the boons can outweigh the banes provided one is prepared!

This is a commentary and comments are welcome by email to: info@eaa.co.ke .  The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Association.