Modern Technology Has an Ethics Problem

The 1983 movie WarGames depicts the fictional account of a computer, called WOPR, used to simulate nuclear war scenarios during the Cold War. WOPR runs exhaustive variations, producing a nearly complete set of potential outcomes. Without spoiling the story, the movie challenges us to ponder the benefits and dangers of letting computers make life-and-death decisions.

Modern computing technology has affected every facet of our lives, from medicine to package delivery to warfare. Overwhelmingly, technology has created fantastic new opportunities and unprecedented wealth, but there are very real ethical implications that aren’t receiving enough attention. Consider this tragic military accident.

In 1988. the USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian commercial airplane after mistaking it for a military aircraft. All 290 passengers died. How could this happen? An investigation determined that the commanding officer either misinterpreted or ignored the intel from an onboard Aegis computer system. Aegis provides quicker, more comprehensive threat assessments to decrease human error. In this case, the computer had the right information, and automation would have prevented the loss of 290 innocent lives. Yet, terribly, the people in charge made the fatally wrong choices.