What happens when* private citizens can have access to this? In Marrooned in Real Time, written 25 years ago, Vernor Vinge posits it would lead to the collapse of government and the rise of sovereignty of the individual. Is this likely? Vinge is a foremost visionary but does seem to have a libertarian bias.
Regardless, like biotech, I hope we do not stifle open development of tech that puts a lot of power for creating the dangerous in the hands of the individual even if though they have a great potential for good. It turns the use of such things into black magic. And if there is anything I have learned from Harry Potter and other fantasy, the kind of people who use Black magic have no scruples. Better would be to turn the same tech to architecting better defenses.
* When because with the ever increasing ease of hardware hacking, reprogrammable hardware and 3D printers; DIY versions of these are only a matter of time.
Regardless, like biotech, I hope we do not stifle open development of tech that puts a lot of power for creating the dangerous in the hands of the individual even if though they have a great potential for good. It turns the use of such things into black magic. And if there is anything I have learned from Harry Potter and other fantasy, the kind of people who use Black magic have no scruples. Better would be to turn the same tech to architecting better defenses.
* When because with the ever increasing ease of hardware hacking, reprogrammable hardware and 3D printers; DIY versions of these are only a matter of time.