Yu Ruidong/China News Service/Visual China Group via Getty Images The rise of AI has left many open-ended questions about the future of technology and the unintended consequences it may lead to.
- The rapid advancement of technology is causing people plenty of anxiety - including the scientists, researchers, and futurists, working on the technology itself.
- The advent of artificial intelligence, drones and self-driving vehicles raises many open-ended questions about the future of technology and the unintended consequences it may lead to.
- We spoke to scientists and researchers to find out 13 dark theories that keep them up at night.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Back in 1970, author Alvin Toffler coined the term "future shock."
He envisioned a dystopian future in which technological and sociological change would be too rapid to cope with, and people would be utterly overwhelmed by daily life.
In the last decade or two, the pace of technological change has accelerated rapidly compared to the era in which Toffler was writing.
Artificial intelligence, social media, self-driving cars, genetic modification you can perform in a garage - even the most optimistic futurists may acknowledge that some technologies are heading toward a tipping point, in which it becomes difficult to predict how they'll be used or what unintended consequences may occur.
Shows like "Black Mirror" routinely take a fictional look at these dark technological scenarios, but the show might not be so far-fetched after all. We talked to scientists, technologists, and researchers to see what terrifying but plausible applications for emerging technologies keep them awake at night.