Homeland Preparedness News – by Dave Kovaleski
The technology known as 3D printing could disrupt labor markets and exacerbate security threats from violent actors, a new RAND Corporation paper suggests.
To the latter point, 3D printing could benefit military adversaries, violent extremists, and even street criminals, who could produce their own weapons for use and sale.
Without proper controls, some violent actors might be able to reproduce even more sophisticated weapons systems and drones. They could also replicate jamming devices or decoys that disrupt intelligence collection. The technology could also be susceptible to hackers who could create flawed instructions or algorithms into things like airplane parts.
“Lone-wolf attacks may become more lethal when individuals have ready access to 3D printers,” said Trevor Johnston, lead author and an associate political scientist at RAND, a nonpartisan research organization. The paper is entitled “Additive Manufacturing in 2040: Powerful Enabler, Disruptive Threat.”
Further, it could allow countries under international sanctions to produce complex items domestically, mitigating the economic impact of sanctions.
From an economic perspective, 3D printing may allow manufacturing firms to produce products domestically rather than importing them. That could, in turn, weaken international partnerships and supply chains. Ultimately, it could lead to lead to disruption and upheaval in labor markets.
“Unemployment, isolation, and alienation of middle and low-skilled laborers may be exacerbated by additive manufacturing together with automation and artificial intelligence,” Troy Smith, an author on the paper and an associate economist at RAND, said.
The key to mitigating the risks depends, in part, on the regulation of printers, raw materials, and software (intellectual property). By limiting supplies of dangerous raw materials, regulators can ensure that some of the most destructive weapons do not become readily accessible.
The research was conducted by the RAND Center for Global Risk and Security, which deals with multidisciplinary research and policy analysis regarding systemic risks to global security.
They want you to fear 3D printing because you may make a few things rather than buy them, and their fear is that you’ll stop being a consumer of all the crap they sell.
How many products that you buy force you to tell yourself “I can make one a lot better than this”??
They can’t have you actually doing that.
And if course, “labor market disruption” is one of the fears they’re pushing.
“3D printing will cost you your job”. Don’t worry about it. If your job can be eliminated by 3D printing, it’ll be eliminated by automation anyway.
Right
maybe they should just come right out and tell the truth.. 3D could free you from the state , and help you make shit they think they can write laws against
3D printing is the best thing in the world. I’m able to repair things or make it completely from CAD to Gcode. It saves a lot of money in the long run, specially if you print a ton of Auto parts like I do. Everything from Brackets, Dash panels to custom speaker enclosures. It’s amazing technology that keeps getting bigger and better ever year.
These assholes are terrified that your going to start manufacturing weapons…………