A Reflection of The Ethics of Invention
The Ethics of Invention, Technology and the Human Future by Sheila Jasanoff
A look into how we can enforce ethical values to our new inventions as technology evolves at unprecedented speeds.
The Ethics of Invention by Sheila Jasanoff explores the intersection between technological advancement and ethics, mainly focusing on how humans and technological systems share power in our rapidly evolving world. A few semesters ago, I researched how governments worldwide use facial recognition technology to reinvent the idea of protection in smart cities. However, while learning more about the technology, I realized that facial recognition has the potential to cross ethical lines. Concerns were raised regarding the ideas of mass surveillance and breaches of privacy. People also felt that facial recognition empowered law enforcement to potentially exacerbate discrimination or threaten rights to protest. Incredibly, this technology could significantly impact all of humanity. While it could help us identify criminals and locate missing persons, if this type of technology identified incorrect people or if it were to be misused, a pandora’s box of ethical problems is opened. So when I saw Jasanoff’s book on our class’ reading list, I knew it would be an excellent opportunity to dive further into the realm of ethics and technology.
Eager to better understand how we delegate power to machines, I quickly immersed myself into Jasanoff’s book, only to discover that machines played a minor role in this work. Instead, Jasanoff focused more on the role ethics played on technology that altered natural life, human labor needed to support new technology, and policy that governs new technology usage. Overall, I found the book interesting. Even though I went into reading it with the expectation that it would open up a broader discussion about robots and AI, I appreciated learning more about topics I rarely encounter in my everyday life, such as bioengineering and patent laws.
Technology can create laws on a global scale. Jasanoff uses traffic lights as an example of this early on in her book. The red, yellow, and green of a traffic light have become the universal symbols of stop, slow down, and go. It struck me as fascinating, especially since I have been researching traffic signals in relation to our climate change project, that this seemingly simplistic invention can be used to govern people. This is a perfect example of how humans sacrificed some of their freedom in exchange for safety. It helped me realize that when we incorporate new technology in our lives, we often exchange things like freedom, privacy, or time for security, transparency, or convenience. For example, I have a Google Home and use it frequently; however, I know that it listens to me throughout the day, but as a consumer, I made the decision to give up some privacy for convenience. Through purchasing these devices, consumers agree to a certain exchange of power between themselves and the device. However, when it comes to public technology such as traffic lights, we subscribe to new technology simply by being a part of society. As technology rapidly evolves, how sure are we that our government representatives invest in the most optimal systems? It is difficult to say, but in my opinion, a better process should be implemented in the future where scientists and citizens have a more democratic say in how new technology is incorporated into our lives.
While technology brings groundbreaking benefits to humanity, it has also become a vehicle for inequality. Jasanoff speaks in-depth about the 1984 Bhopal toxic gas disaster and the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse. Both disasters killed thousands of people and resulted from government degradation of standards to allow for cheap means of production. Wealthier nations generally profit more from new technology than poorer nations who must heavily employ their human and natural resources to stay somewhat competitive. In the future, it will become even more critical for developing countries to access and incorporate new technology so that their citizens can enjoy the same opportunities as those in developed nations; this will be critical to lessen global wealth disparities. An example of how these disparities became highly pronounced can be seen in the recent Covid-19 vaccine rollout. Wealthy nations bought up massive amounts of vaccines and continued to hoard them while poorer nations struggled to access these life-saving health products. There is no simple answer on how to decrease the wealth gap, but implementing enforceable international standards for environmental safety and healthcare can help prevent widespread disasters.
As technology continues to shape legal, social, and ethical environments, humans will continue to adapt. A harmonious future with evolving technology will require people to advocate for their ethical rights. By selecting representatives who are willing to work with technology experts to understand both benefits and negatives new inventions have on the population, we are one step closer to living in a progressive ethical world. Covid-19 revealed how important competent leadership impacted the welfare of society. Leaders who claimed it to be a hoax instead of a serious threat saw higher infection rates in their populations. Therefore, in the future, we need to heavily critique how our leaders approach issues of environmental protection, human biological safety, and data privacy, along with a myriad of other new concerns that come with our evolving technology. It may appear to be a large order, but if societies raise awareness together, we can build a better future for all.
