When technology changes society.

Written SH on 2022-09-22.

In future . Tagged transport technology

Science fiction has long imagined the emergence of teleportation technology allowing the movement of objects and people to occur between locations instantaneously. This technology remains imagined but is still explored. Our interest is not with the practicality of the technology but rather to imagine the consequences of its emergence.

...if the human teleportation is a possibility, will it face any physical or moral challenges.
Elbehiery, K., 2022. Teleportation; Next Leap to Outer Space. online.

The emergence of teleportation technology will transform the boundaries between public and private space, call into question the notion of privacy and also transform the defense and security space. The nature of teleportation technology would be disruptive initially and then perhaps rapidly adopted and widespread if proven safe. Like all technologies it is unlikely to be inherently evil but it would offer the opportunity for great evil as well as good.

If we consider immigration as a case study for the interaction between government policy and teleportation the current system is likely to require radical transformation. If teleportation gives the ability to immediately transport oneself to another location then preventing the movement of people would become almost impossible. That is of course until additional technological developments occur to restrict it.

Perhaps a system where work permits but not residency permits would be created where people may work in a location and then teleport to another when not working. Such a system appears exclusionary and discriminatory but perhaps the perceived desirability of the locations being traveled between is critically important to this assessment. Of course guarantees of a particular situation could be offered and then the reality masked effectively through the use of teleportation technology. While teleportation technology would pose significant difficulties to a government attempting to restrict immigration such a technology would also offer significant possibility to organizations seeking to aid others in entering such jurisdictions. Teleportation technologies once globally established would almost certainly require a global system of governance though an illegal system would almost certainly also exist.

One can easily imagine a technological arms race between teleportation jammers and teleportation enablers. This would almost certainly occur with government involvement from a defense perspective. Such a conflict could result in the undermining of the use of teleportation equipment certainly amongst electing individuals. However, perhaps most would be willing to take the risk.

Tenth Person

Emerging technology always create both risks and opportunities for established businesses. Care should be taken to ensure that significant disruptive emergent technological developments are not missed. Teleportation remains theoretical but the disruptive potential of it is clear. If teleportation technologies emerge then immigration policy, transport policy and manufacturing systems would be among the many transformed.

Future Imagining

A future where teleportation is accessible and affordable is utterly transformative to society. Labor could rapidly move between opportunities and also take advantage of the instantaneous transport to gather, organize, abide and holiday wherever it wishes. A future where teleportation is used without consent of the transported is likely to further devalue labor and allow for even greater exploitation than is currently imagined. If teleportation technology is realized would an additional global policy space be required?

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References

Elbehiery, K. and Elbehiery, H., 2022. Teleportation; Next Leap to Outer Space. In Digital Transformation Technology (pp. 153-168). Springer, Singapore.URL.

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