Horan is not claiming those things. Horan is wondering if the experts have considered those things. Scott's hand waving answer suggests that "no the experts have not." Engineering professionalism entails formal assessment of the risks. The burden of proof is on the engineer. Without that, it's astrology not engineering.
It's a standard trick to sound smart. Just ask if the new thing have some unintended consequences. What is the cost of asking this for every new technology?
