Boris Johnson: ‘Terrifying limbless chickens’ but little Brexit

Things beleaguered British Prime Minister said in his astonishing speech to U.N. General Assembly on September 24 night: “Pink-eyed Terminators from future.” ″Terrifying limbless chickens.” ″Your fridge will beep for more cheese.” Things Boris Johnson didn’t dress with any substance: Brexit (though he mentioned it in a quip). British court ruling earlier in day that said he acted illegally by dissolving Parliament. take--prisoners politics that some say are threatening his premiership and undermining his influence as Britain’s leer.

Speech was unexpected

Many didn’t kw what to expect Tuesday after court ruling came down hours before Johnson’s inaugural U.N. General Assembly speech as Prime Minister. But it’s safe to say few anticipated what he dramatically and energetically delivered: a caffeinated screed about dam that techlogy can do if misused and glories it can hand humanity if it is delivered properly. In his tably energetic speech, which ended after 10 p.m. as more than 12 hours of U.N. speeches were inching to ir end, Johnson said he was optimistic about techlogy’s future if humanity finds “ right balance between freedom and control”.

first potential future that Johnson mapped out was decidedly dystopian, one where techlogy permeates every corner of human life, and t in a good way. Digital assistants pretending to take orders but, actually watching you and acting against your interests. Computers that decide what you’ll get, where you’ll be allowed to go, who you’ll be.

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"You may keep secrets from your friends, from your parents, your children, your doctor - even your personal trainer - but it takes real effort to conceal your thoughts from Google,” he said. “And if that is true today, in future re may be where to hide. That is t, he said, a good thing at all."

“Can se algorithms be trusted with our lives and hopes?” he asked, his delivery staccato and his hands jabbing with emphasis. “Are we doomed to a cold and hard future where a computer says ‘yes’ or ‘’?” But if things are done right, prime minister said, a different story could unfold for all of us.“How do you ple with an algorithm? How do you get it to see extenuating circumstances?” he said. “We need to find right balance between freedom and control.”

spirited, tech-focused dress was extraordinary given that immediately after it, he was to he back early to his home country to face a maelstrom of political problems including consequences of court ruling and hearty calls for him to resign as prime minister. 

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One mention of Brexit

In speech, Johnson mentioned Brexit only once as a pointed aside while recalling myth of Promeus, who was chained to a rock by Zeus and sentenced to have his liver eaten out by an eagle for eternity.

 “And this went on forever,” he quipped, “a bit like experience of Brexit in U.K, if some of our parliamentarians h ir way.”

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But he said that with right approach one of “freedom, openness and pluralism” — and making sure that such voices are heard loudly “in standards bodies that write rules,” humanity can deliver itself to a brighter techlogical future.

“Toger, we must ensure that new vances reflect our values by design,” he said, ding: “I am profoundly optimistic about ability of new techlogy to serve as a liberator and remake world wondrously and benignly. Indeed, in countless respects, techlogy is alrey doing just that.” 

n, his speech over, he heed to airport. Within hour, he was flying home.

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