Double-Edged Sword: Computer Engineering and Its Contribution to Imperialism

By Anonymous / Fall 2024

Before participating in this class, I had never thought about choosing a major and discipline could direct my goal into hurting other people. Initially, I chose computer engineering as my major because it is something interesting, and I thought I would be able to understand how robots and machines work if they ever dominate humanity in the future. However, when I was navigating through different career paths in community college, I found there to many various opportunities for this major, from designing robots to developing computer machines that are easy for the elderly to access. I have decided that my goal with my major is to eventually design devices for the older generation who have trouble seeing, hearing, and moving. As my grandparents and parents are getting older, I find them to be busier each day dealing with new, unfamiliar technologies as there is more and more information in modern society.

Despite my goal, the cruel reality of technological advancement will continue to threaten humans. Computer engineering is well integrated into modern weaponry, such as drones, combat system devices, surveillance tools, and other advanced military technologies. My first interaction with the modern integration of computer engineering into weaponry was seeing bombing drones in the current Ukraine war on social media. In the video, a drone with a camera and bomb attached was flying towards a runaway soldier. The soldier looked defeated and was helplessly running away from the bombing drone that was chasing him. Eventually, the drone caught up with the soldier but did not explode, but flew around him as it was toying with him. However, in a moment, the drone or the person controlling the drone, decided that it was time to end the game and dove to the soldier. The bomb was activated by the physical interaction between the soldier's body and the bomb. After watching that, I understood the power of technology and how my major could ultimately lead me to create weaponry like these. I also saw news of drone attacks during the war.

As I was doing research into modern war conflicts, particularly the Ukraine versus Russia war, I found that drones were used extensively throughout the war for surveillance, launching missiles, and serving as a "kamikaze" weapon. According to a BBC news article, Russia had been using drones to attack Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and now countries like Germany and the United Kingdom are supplying drones to Ukraine to help them fight back. One particular drone that they are supplying is the DJI Mavic 3, a Chinese-made commercial drone that is cheap and accessible (BBC News). I found this research particularly interesting because my dad actually gifted me a DJI drone for my birthday. I have not flown the drones, but I did have thoughts about modifying the drone to be something more exciting like a racing drone. However, it is absurd to imagine that people could actually buy these drones on Amazon and easily design them to become killing machines instead of fun projects. I also found these drones being used as "kamikaze" weapons concerning. The word "kamikaze" was originally used as a military term where Japanese pilots intentionally crash their planes into enemy battleships, and it was one of the most challenging tasks for the U.S. army to overcome during World War II. Even after World War II, these efficient, life-threatening military tactics were not banned but are actively encouraged and used in modern warfare. Moreover, the tactic uses a camera and some cheaper components to damage its enemies. Therefore, if battleships were ever used in modern warfare, remote-controlled "kamikaze" planes could be implemented and would become more dangerous to both humans and the environment.

Another event where I was surprised by the potential of computer engineering was participating in an engineering connection panel with field professionals. While talking to professionals, I was introduced to Northrop Grumman, one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers that specializes in manned and unmanned air systems. When I asked the field professional about the company and what it was about, the person proudly presented that Northrop Grumman is one of the best companies in the United States and that he enjoys working there. My suitemate also actively wears a Northrop Grumman shirt and shows interest in working for the company. As a company that job applicants dream to intern with and work for because of its reputation and high pay, I often wondered: How much does our morality sell for? Should designing a technology that can separate countless families be our dream job?

A research where I found corporate domination and government imperialism being used was the Edward Snowden scandal in 2013. In 2013, a former National Security Association employee Edward Snowden revealed news that shocked the world. Snowden exposed the government's secret that the U.S. government was secretly spying on American citizens by storing information provided by large technology companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and many other companies. Furthermore, he made revelations that countries in the South, from the Middle East to Africa and Latin America, were also surveillance targets of the U.S. government. After Snowden revealed this information to a reporter, he fled from the United States and sought protection from Russia. As of 2022, he is a naturalized citizen of Russia and is protected by the Russian government. I found this information interesting because these popular software and search engines exploit people's privacy, but they are still used widely nowadays as if nothing happened. If Snowden had not risked his life to leak the information, American citizens would have been secretly monitored and controlled. This also showed that the upper class and government were always collaborating to try to control the common people through advanced technology.

From the Snowden revelation, we can determine that technology companies work closely with the government. Since the United States controls all the most powerful companies, from software to hardware, it is achievable for companies to develop devices that could spy on other countries. There is research on Microsoft where the company is heavily involved in the police system, and the facial recognition cameras in Brazil and Singapore are provided by Microsoft. Microsoft is involved in the prison system in Africa, and they have analytics on all the prisons that are currently serving and those that have served. The company also developed the first modern surveillance cameras in the Philippines, where they utilized the Philippines as a testing model and even brought the model back to America for crime prevention. Furthermore, these underdeveloped countries have to rely on American technology for technological exposure for their newer generation. Poorer countries, like South Africa, have to rely on these tech companies to provide them with technologies at no cost, making them dependent upon the companies to determine what software they are allowed to use (Kwet). Even if the poorer countries found out that the United States are stealing their information, they would not have cared because they rely on powerful countries for technology. However, if the American government found that countries other than themselves were stealing its citizens' information, they would not hesitate to ban it or start conflicts. This research reminds me of the recent TikTok case, where the U.S. government is banning a Chinese-owned software called TikTok for stealing information from American citizens. The United States opposes heavily when other countries disrupt its interests, but the government would happily spy on its citizens and other countries.

Lastly, I found there to be a similarity between modern society and the Cold War. During the Cold War, the United States was competing against the Soviet Union for technological and economic advancement, and they were also trying to take control of other countries to expand their imperialism. In modern society, companies are eager to develop new software for spying, drones for killing, and low-cost ammunition. This relates to computer engineering because the discipline range from developing apps to building drones, and its high variety of paths can give exposure to many dangerous careers. However, computer engineering can also help build apps and medical devices that can benefit people's lives. For example, one can easily fall into the temptation of money and become an innovator for killing machines, but one can also stay true to the chosen path and vow to protect the people.

The computer engineering major is a double-edged sword, where the extreme side of the discipline can pose danger to numerous people, the positive side of this major can benefit millions of people's lives. My original goal was to develop devices that could benefit society and make people around the world understand technology more easily, but my goal was shifted by the value of money and the self-esteem of working at a prestigious company. Before conducting this research on killing machines and imperialism, I wanted to work for Microsoft because of its variety of project opportunities and high pay. Now, although the pay is lower, I would consider working for a healthcare company and specialize in development of affordable medical devices. Since medical devices are generally not related to harming people in any way, it would prevent someone from accidentally creating something dangerous. As Professor Twohig mentioned in class, humans should not live under the value of money and imperialism, but instead in a community where humans can coexist in this blue speck within the Milky Way.

References

BBC. “Ukraine Conflict: How Are Drones Being Used?” BBC News, 25 July 2022, www.bbc.com/news/world-62225830.

Kwet, Michael. “Digital Colonialism: The Evolution of US Empire.” Longreads, 4 Mar. 2021, longreads.tni.org/digital-colonialism-the-evolution-of-us-empire.