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Re:Boston Dynamics will start selling its dog-like SpotMini ... by Fricken on Monday May 14, 2018 @11:45AM (#17066441)
There's a term for when people gravitate to worst case scenarios not because the worst case scenario is likely, but because it is easy to imagine. I forget the term.
Re:Boston Dynamics will start selling its dog-like SpotMini ... by Jach on Monday May 14, 2018 @12:32PM (#17066855)
I can't think of any other term than worst-case thinking, and this post by Schneier: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/12/schneier.worst.case.th...

There's more going on than just that though. It's like we've collectively forgotten that technology is double-edged. Maybe things like Black Mirror that people are referencing a lot (I haven't watched any of it so someone can correct me) only focus on one edge and that leads to things like availability bias. If popular media drives a lot of the heuristic when thinking about technology it's perhaps no wonder when not much of it is uplifting.

Re:Boston Dynamics will start selling its dog-like SpotMini ... by notyourday on Monday May 14, 2018 @12:58PM (#17067130)
Is it because we continue to believe that police departments in a town with two cops and a few hundred citizens dont buy $1MM or so of military equipment?
Re:Boston Dynamics will start selling its dog-like SpotMini ... by StavrosK on Monday May 14, 2018 @12:35PM (#17066885)
Availability heuristic?
Re:Boston Dynamics will start selling its dog-like SpotMini ... by rxhernandez on Monday May 14, 2018 @11:59AM (#17066581)
I think the term you're looking for is ethical engineering; you probably saw something like it at an ABET accredited university.
Re:Boston Dynamics will start selling its dog-like SpotMini ... by vpribish on Monday May 14, 2018 @01:08PM (#17067224)
no, that would not be the term. Here are some candidates

"awfulizing" from Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy https://qz.com/989112/how-to-stop-jumping-to-the-worst-case-...

"Catastrophizing" https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/catastrophizing-...

"Catastrophic Thinking" https://psychcentral.com/blog/catastrophic-thinking-when-you...