Our Future - Brave New World Book Review | Teen Ink

Our Future - Brave New World Book Review

March 20, 2023
By TheLegend679 GOLD, Singapore, Other
TheLegend679 GOLD, Singapore, Other
10 articles 4 photos 0 comments

We live in a world where technology is an essential part of human life. Some technologies, such as ChatGPT, can even perform jobs better than humans. Over time, advanced technology will make even more humans obsolete. Much of what we are seeing was predicted in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, a novel that explores a future in which technology creates a human utopia.

The ​​book’s futuristic setting showcases many new technologies. This advancement demonstrates technology’s ultimate benefits. For example, the novel imagines psychological studies that hypothesize removing fear, rendering humanity more efficient. However, as the novel ultimately shows, if technology is left unchecked, terrible results can occur. The book highlights how technology might alter our lives for the worse. Consider the removal of fear that emerges in the novel as a psychological possibility. Tinkering with the human mind, in this way, could be used to spread hatred. The lesson that we should take from the novel is clear: if we do not carefully monitor how technology is applied, we may find ourselves in a dystopian rather than utopian world. Returning to another, another scientific possibility that Huxley imagines are the ability to control reproduction. By today’s standards, creating a human clone, no matter the purpose, is both unethical and illegal. However, active research in the field continues. This means that we need to consider the path we are taking. Breakthroughs can happen at any moment, and we must be ethically and legally prepared. If we are not vigilant, the enormously beneficial outcomes of science could turn our world into the one that Huxley imagined.

Throughout the novel, Huxley portrays a rigidly defined class system. Only two looks exist in the world he created: one for females and one for males. There is an apparent lack of diversity, which may seem, unlike today’s world. Although we will never have this level of physiognomic congruity, modern technology may have a similar effect on human consciousness. AI can gather resources extremely quickly and write an entire essay in less than 5 mins. With more similar AIs, humans may not need to think creatively when writing. This will create an essentially similar effect as the one Huxley prophesied. We will not have the same face; however, we will have the same thought process. The result will be a lack of individuality. The book portrays this homogenization as an essential part of a better society. According to the novel, when people have nothing to fight over, happiness will blossom. In our world, the idea is absurd. The ability to show our diversity makes humans special. No human will want a future like the one Huxley imagines, one in which the freedoms we spend centuries accumulating evaporate. However, the advancement of technology makes a similar, though less extreme version of this future possible.

Without fighting back, the characters in the book seem to accept the world they inhabit. Everyone seems obedient, never questioning the rules or trying to change their lives. Even when John screams that they are enslaved and being controlled, none of the workers think about his claim. Instead, they just move on with their lives as if nothing has happened. Children, who should be curious and question everything, are not immune from this sterile acceptance. In the novel, they are just as accepting as adults. The question is whether this will happen in the real world. As technology advances, robots might replace certain jobs. People in those fields will fight back as they lose their income; however, there is no doubt that robots can do certain jobs better and more efficiently than humans. It will be difficult to stop the development of better technology, so we need to define how much technology we will permit to replace us. If we just let it happen, we are accepting the fact that we are getting replaced, leading to the world in the book. However, we also can’t always stop development, as many changes to improve our life. The book demonstrates what may happen when we are unable to find the right balance in our advance with rather than against machines.

Technology can create a utopia, but do humans want to live in that world? Brave New World explores a world in which technology creates a happy and peaceful society. However, this world includes many problems that can be considered immoral by today’s standards. With the advancement in technology, such as ChatGBT, we are moving in the same direction as the book. It creates a better world but also brings many issues with it. We need to find a balance between technology, power, and humans to move forward on the right path.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.