Ethics of Technology: What Science Should Consider

^{Photo by Pavel Danilyuk}

The world has seen many technological advancements. While these greatly contribute to people’s ease of life, they also have dangers and risks. Ethical issues in technology give people a clear perspective of why advancements are a double-edged sword to be wielded carefully. Yes, they are luxuries that enhance the quality of life, but they can also be misused and abused.

The ethics of technology remain a consequential discussion that society should welcome and uphold. Despite technology’s existence for decades and advancements reaching new heights, it’s important to remind humanity what these should and shouldn’t be.

With such an impactful power behind it, the sciences should be cautious about their decisions and approach everything with a clear moral compass at hand.

The Morality Behind Technology: The Role of Scientists in Ethical Decision-Making

To better understand ethics in technology and its importance, we’ll use the material written by David W. Stewart—a refreshing look at how sciences can be abused. Although David W. Stewart’s book is entitled Angel of Mortality: Defender of Life, Creator of Chaos, much of its storyline centers on the morality and dangers of technology.

Unintended Consequences of Technological Advancements

Readers are exposed to how reality looks like should the power of science fall into the wrong hands. The book follows how technology is used for evil, its implications for society, and how order is quickly eradicated simply due to wrongful decisions.

It’s categorized under science fiction, but its ideology is close to reality.

With the wrong authority, it’s easy to disregard the ethics of technology, which does society more harm than good. Given technology’s influence on humanity, this wrongful decision may even lead to life’s disruption—just as in David W. Stewart’s story.

Angel of Mortality: Defender of Life, Creator of Chaos perfectly encompasses the importance of ethics in technology. It shows the benefits of technology and how quickly these can be contradicted when in the wrong hands. More than anything, the book serves as a reminder of how the sciences should approach their decisions in advancements and how these should be carefully considered with the goodness of humanity as a priority.

This is the importance of upholding technological ethics.

What is the Importance of Ethics in Technology?

In its essence, ethics as a separate concept entails conscious thinking and taking rightful actions. It’s doing what is right. In the technological space, this means overseeing and ensuring that technological progress is directed to where it’s right and where it will benefit most without compromise.

What Is the Ethics of Technology, Exactly?

This is what people should have a clear understanding of.

Technology, per se, doesn’t possess ethics. After all, it’s only created as an intermediary between people and the world, merely a thing or an instrument that should be used to complement life.

In and of itself, technological ethics is as close to nonexistent. However, the importance of ethics in technology isn’t in the tool itself but in its deployment and development. Questions of how morally right technological advancements are fall under its use rather than its existence.

Who Should Be Held Accountable?

In the questionable progress of technology, who should carry the burden of responsibility?

Researchers? Corporations? Government?

As parents are accountable for raising their children, the ethics of technology should fall into the hands of scientists. Regardless of what it does, technology will always cause destruction if the hands using it intend to cause destruction—as in David W. Stewart’s story.

Part of the ethics of technology is keeping its humane aspect in place. This means that regardless of how advanced processes become, human touch should still be woven into them. Human values and attitudes should be used to ensure these systems are primarily beneficial, safe, and not unstable. However, if society looks into how tech advancements are utilized now, the ethical failures are glaring.

What are the Ethical Impacts of Technology?

Although they are still partly advantageous to humanity, it can’t be discredited how a portion of technological advancements does more harm than good. Today, society faces threats brought upon by such upward progress. Common examples include:

• Privacy and Data Misuse
• Surveillance
• Algorithm Bias
• Lack of Transparency
• Environmental Impacts
• Cybercrime
• Autonomous weapons

While these are heavily damaging concepts to live by, they don’t necessarily exist simply because technology exists. Instead, they are perpetrated by individuals who allow them to proliferate.

A Call for Responsible Innovation

Science is always geared towards the advancement of society because this is where it believes growth and success lie. However, as with everything else, these advancements should be based on ethical metrics. Humanity can’t keep progressing without checking if it’s still within moral or righteous grounds; otherwise, it can have countless disadvantages in society.

To ensure the ethics of technology are upheld, scientists can start by building a framework for ethical innovation. This includes establishing concrete committees and guidelines to ensure no oversight on ethics will exist. Such factors will also ensure the public’s role in keeping the ethics of technology in check will be profound and significant in decision-making.

A call for responsible innovation doesn’t necessarily mean limiting the bounds of science. Instead, it’s striking a balance between scientific freedom and ethics. Grab a copy of David W. Stewart’s book to see the consequences should responsible innovation be disregarded.