I think you're over-analyzing the proposition. Think about all the good that could come from keeping natural disasters from densely populated regions, or watering under-fertilized crops. There would be limitations and restrictions to keep clients from monopolizing the system.
And besides, we modify nature in the most passive ways: breeding new roses for instance. But no one complains about "playing God" when that came up. And what about 'predicting' the weather? I'd say that's as close to playing God as humans will get.
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I think you're over-analyzing the proposition. Think about all the good that could come from keeping natural disasters from densely populated regions, or watering under-fertilized crops. There would be limitations and restrictions to keep clients from monopolizing the system.
And besides, we modify nature in the most passive ways: breeding new roses for instance. But no one complains about "playing God" when that came up. And what about 'predicting' the weather? I'd say that's as close to playing God as humans will get.