Today’s 3D printers have taken replication to the next level phase. This three- dimensional technology is going to have a significant impact on the future of our lives. It will play a significant role in changing industry and our current concepts of things like electronics, food and medicine.

Futurist Jeremy Rifkin and US President Barack Obama said the 3D printer is the protagonist for starting the Third Industrial Revolution. 3D printing technology is now being used to produce movie props, museums are using it for reproductions in their displays and the medical field has found it momentous in advancing medical procedures. Doctors, by way of a 3D printer are now able to use advanced techniques in surgery and have successfully produced artificial bones that are practically identical to real bones. It has also been applied to a various industrial fields and seems to have endless possibilities. Additionally, 3D printers are able to reproduce and replicate products quite inexpensively which has only increased the demand for this type of technology. Many rave about how 3D printing is going to make our lives better. However, others warn of the negative aspects of this type of advanced technology. Yes, this technology will bring many advancements, yet 3D printer technology can be exploited and used for illegal activities. Thus, what arises is a plethora of ethical and legal questions and issues.

Recently, a male in his twenties was arrested in Japan for using a 3D printer to create a gun. An investigation by the Kanagawa police revealed that the gun that the man had made could have been lethal because it was capable of firing live ammunition. A few years ago, an American gun manufacturer used this 3D technology to produce and post one of their gun designs on line. Unsurprisingly, the number of downloads of this designed weapon exceeded 100,000. The United States Department of State intervened to take down the gun manufacturer’s post citing the reason as the illegal distribution of firearms.

From 2012, the United States and European drugs manufacturing companies have successfully used this 3D advancement for drug experimentation and production. Professor Lee Cronin and a research team at the University of Glasgow successfully recreated the painkiller Ibuprofen with a 3D printer. Soon, people everywhere will be able to make medicine in accordance with manufacturing methods posted on the internet. However, if this technology is abused, there is the concern that criminal drug rings could use it for the production of illegal drugs and counterfeit medicines. Criminal organizations with enough funding are able to use the 3D printer to generate and distribute a number of illegal drugs.

The possibilities are endless, both positive and negative, the scope of things that can be replicated is mind-boggling: finger prints, cultural assets and brand name product designs. However, abuse cases based on the popularity of 3D printing have increased significantly, yet there is still a lack of countermeasures in order to stop this abuse.

In the future, our lives will become variably more abundant through the use of the 3D printer. Equally, crime using 3D printers, will most likely increase as well. Therefore, 3D printing technology is kind of a double-edged sword, a blessing as well as a curse; it all depends on how it is used. As a society we must stay vigilant, we can maximize the benefits it will bring to our lives, yet we must also seek measures that prevent this technology from being used for criminal activities.