Technology Relinquishment Strategy

A Technology Relinquishment Strategy is a preventive voluntary technology governance strategy advocating complete technology abandonment to prevent existential risks.

• AKA: Technology Relinquishment Concept, Technological Abandonment Strategy, Voluntary Technology Prohibition, Preventive Technology Restriction.
• Context:
  • It can typically target Technology Relinquishment Domains with technology relinquishment existential threats.
  • It can typically require Technology Relinquishment Consensus among technology relinquishment stakeholders.
  • It can typically face Technology Relinquishment Opposition from technology relinquishment progress advocates.
  • It can typically invoke Technology Relinquishment Precedents like nuclear treaties.
  • It can typically demand Technology Relinquishment Enforcement through technology relinquishment governance mechanisms.
  • ...
  • It can often generate Technology Relinquishment Debates about technology relinquishment feasibility.
  • It can often inspire Technology Relinquishment Movements promoting technology relinquishment awareness.
  • It can often influence Technology Relinquishment Policy in technology relinquishment regulation frameworks.
  • It can often create Technology Relinquishment Dilemmas between technology relinquishment safety and technology relinquishment progress.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Narrow Technology Relinquishment Concept to being a Broad Technology Relinquishment Concept, depending on its technology relinquishment scope.
  • It can range from being a Voluntary Technology Relinquishment Concept to being a Mandatory Technology Relinquishment Concept, depending on its technology relinquishment enforcement level.
  • It can range from being a Temporary Technology Relinquishment Concept to being a Permanent Technology Relinquishment Concept, depending on its technology relinquishment duration.
  • It can range from being a Unilateral Technology Relinquishment Concept to being a Multilateral Technology Relinquishment Concept, depending on its technology relinquishment coordination requirement.
  • ...
  • It can be advocated by Bill Joy in Why the Future Doesn't Need Us.
  • It can apply to genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR technologies).
  • It can contrast with fine-grained relinquishment proposed by Ray Kurzweil.
  • It can relate to precautionary principles in technology governance.
  • It can inform AI safety research and existential risk assessment.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Historical Technology Relinquishments, such as:
    • CFC Relinquishment protecting ozone layer.
    • Biological Weapons Relinquishment preventing bioweapon proliferation.
    • Human Cloning Relinquishment addressing ethical concerns.
  • Proposed Technology Relinquishments, such as:
    • AGI Development Relinquishment preventing superintelligence risks.
    • Molecular Nanotechnology Relinquishment avoiding grey goo scenarios.
    • Autonomous Weapons Relinquishment preventing warfare automation.
  • Partial Technology Relinquishments, such as:
    • Gain-of-Function Research Moratorium limiting pandemic risks.
    • Gene Drive Restriction controlling ecological impacts.
    • Facial Recognition Bans protecting privacy rights.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Technology Regulation Concepts, which control rather than abandon technology development.
  • Technology Acceleration Concepts, which promote rapid technology advancement.
  • Technology Ethics Frameworks, which guide rather than prohibit technology use.
• See: Bill Joy, Why the Future Doesn't Need Us, Existential Risk, Precautionary Principle, Technology Governance, GNR Technologies, Grey Goo, Superintelligence Risk.

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