So-called “personalised viruses” could be used to subtly kill individuals, or even commit genocide of entire races, futurist David Wood D.Sc. exclusively told Daily Star Online
David, co-founder of Transhumanist party UK, explained how “terrorists” or “disturbed, nasty people” could destroy the world.
“People could make a biological weapon out of the virus that would pass throughout most of the population and wouldn’t even be noticed,” he said.
Such a virus would be “benign” to most of us, after all our bodies are full of bugs which are mostly harmless.
HACKING HELL: Cyber attackers will try to ‘use our DNA for assassinations or genocide’ (Pic: GETTY)
“Nobody in their right mind would do it, but we do have people in this world who are not in their right mind”
David Wood
But when the bug reaches it unfortunate target, they would die, David said.
People with “particular genetic shared background” could have something “distinct in their DNA” which is targeted, he said.
It is theoretically possible for a malevolent person to hack into a DNA profiling service and steal people’s genetic information.
He added: “And it could be the case that somebody had an intense dislike of Scottish people, or intense dislike to Greeks, they could say ‘well I’m going to spread this virus that is harmless until it finds these people and then it causes them damage’.
“Nobody in their right mind would do it, but we do have people in this world who are not in their right mind.”
Bruce Schneier, a security researcher, published a book called Click Here to Kill Everyone in which he describes this very scenario.
MODERN MEDICINE: We can now cheaply find out a lot about our genetic code (Pic: GETTY STOCK IMAGE)
FEARS: The DNA of viruses could be changed to only infect certain people (Pic: GETTY STOCK IMAGE)
David added: “There is already ransomeware where people with very little software understanding can order online on the Dark Net.
“You just fill in the tick boxes of what kind of ransom you want – how much money do you want to ask for, how long do you want your campaign to run for.
“In the future, Bruce Schneier thinks there will be services you can order up to devise your biological weapons which can then be released and exert damage.
“So this is the consequence of having very powerful technology in more and more people’s hands.”
Meanwhile, a bizarre rule called Moore’s Law of Mad Science, by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, spells possible doom for the human race.
CYBER SAFETY: DNA companies need to have tight security (Pic: GETTY STOCK IMAGE)
David, who worked in the smartphone industry for 25 years, said it is “not an exact law” but shows every 18 months “the IQ necessary for somebody evil to destroy the world goes down by a few IQ points”.
He explained: “A long time ago you’d need to be an IQ of 300 to figure out how to use technology to destroy the world, no such people exist.
“But increasingly, the smart people in ISIS or North Korea, or wherever, will be able to figure out how to use technology to destroy the world.”
He added: “And we will need to think about that in advance and futurists and transhumanists, as well as pointing out the amazing and wonderful things technology can do, will also warn people about the terrible consequences of bad technology.”
David Wood’s talk, The Abolition of Ageing by 2040, can be booked via Funzing.
His new book, The Abolition of Ageing, is out soon while Sustainable Superabundance, is available now.
