If someone finds some protected data as controversial as AACS encryption key[2] and creates a "fork" of HIV which contains that information, I'm optimistic that we will get a cure for it in a few years.
On a more serious note, I'm not sure, with this kind of power, if we are quickly approaching a Great Filter[4] or not.
> I'm not sure, with this kind of power, if we are quickly approaching a Great Filter or not
We're approaching several.
We -- or rather, some members of our species -- are clever enough to build amazingly powerful technologies (nuclear weapons, biotechnology, maybe strong AI), but as a species we seem to often use them unwisely, either because political leaders are power-obsessed (in the case of nuclear weapons), or because some technologies might become able to be harnessed by individuals/groups without much resources (DIY biotechnology).
It's like toddlers playing with matches on a petrol-soaked carpet.
We're approaching several.
We -- or rather, some members of our species -- are clever enough to build amazingly powerful technologies (nuclear weapons, biotechnology, maybe strong AI), but as a species we seem to often use them unwisely, either because political leaders are power-obsessed (in the case of nuclear weapons), or because some technologies might become able to be harnessed by individuals/groups without much resources (DIY biotechnology).
It's like toddlers playing with matches on a petrol-soaked carpet.