Technology is all around us. It is at once so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, and in other areas so remarkable as to grab the world’s attention.
From ceramic cups to nuclear weapons; from the springs in your mattress to immersive virtual worlds; from paper and pencils to intelligent algorithms—technology runs the gamut from background noise to something like magic.
But even the background technologies were once like magic. Cups and springs might not make for much conversation today, but life would be profoundly different were they were never invented. Perhaps AI, virtual reality, and other developing technologies will follow a similar path.
One philosophical conundrum at the heart of these developments is the question of moral value: Can we say that a technology is good or bad, or are they neutral? Are our values embedded in the technologies we build or are they valueless until someone decides what to do with them?
It might seem trivial, but the answer to the question will impact how we regulate technology and who is responsible for the consequences of how it’s used. As we blaze forward into the realms of intelligent computers, brain interfaces, and biohacking, the significance of these moral questions grows.
Let’s take a look at the arguments.
