CRN Comments on Greenpeace Nanotech Report

September 3, 2003 | Source: KurzweilAI

The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology has prepared a 10-page document that supplements the recent Greenpeace report, “Future Technologies, Today’s Choices,” which addresses the risks and benefits of nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.

The document prepared by CRN provides greater detail on the current state of research in molecular nanotechnology (MNT), and discusses possible near-term developments in limited molecular nanotechnology (LMNT).

Eric Drexler, chairman of the Foresight Institute and an advisor to CRN, said, “Molecular manufacturing can have large consequences even in early versions with relatively narrow abilities. This contribution from CRN makes it clear that LMNT is an important and accessible objective.”

CRN’s technical commentary includes an analysis of the requirements for developing LMNT. “The barriers to rapid development are mainly those of policy, not technology,” said CRN’s Director of Research Chris Phoenix. “There is no known scientific objection to LMNT, and the technical problems are rapidly being broken down into manageable sub-problems.”