The most affecting moment for me in cinema is the beginning of George Lucas s dystopic nightmare THX-1138. And then, the screen goes blank as the music changes, becoming bleak and ominous. The film itself is perhaps the finest vision of a technocracy yet produced. The concept of technocracy is ill-understood, even by many individuals who are knowledgeable in the societal effects of technology. The topic is fascinating, but limited.
Technology touches our lives in far more ways than can check or be checked by the state.
It affects our work, our culture, our social relations, even our desires. Recognizing technology s breadth is a prerequisite to reaching any conclusions on its ultimate effects. More fundamentally, it is a society which makes sustaining and, to some extent, advancing a given level of technical achievement an issue of central importance. It should be noted that, within a century, it is quite likely that technical experts may mean artificial intelligence systems. All civilizations have been, to some extent, technocracies.