Technoethics and Society

Technoethics and Society is an interdisciplinary field that explores the intersection of technology and ethics, particularly in the context of rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. Technoethics seeks to address ethical dilemmas arising from technological innovations, emphasizing the need to consider not only the potential benefits but also the broader implications for society and the environment. As technology evolves, traditional ethical questions can become more complex; for example, the use of genetically modified organisms raises concerns about biodiversity and corporate control over food production.

The field grapples with the consequences of technological advancements, distinguishing between undesirable outcomes and unethical practices. This complexity is evident in discussions surrounding artificial intelligence, where the potential for creating machines that mimic human thought raises questions about autonomy and ethical treatment. Conflicts often arise between proponents of technology, who advocate for progress, and technoethicists, who highlight the importance of assessing the long-term impacts of these advancements.

Technoethics serves as a critical lens through which to evaluate whether new technologies genuinely represent progress or if they introduce risks that could outweigh their advantages. By engaging in this discourse, technoethicists aim to ensure that technological development aligns with ethical considerations that respect diverse perspectives and promote societal well-being.

Published in: 2021

By: Zimmer, Scott, JD

Subject Terms

Technoethics and Society

Abstract

“Technoethics” is a conflation of the terms “technology” and “ethics.” New technologies in any age exploit what is possible to accomplish; the repercussions of powerful new tools are of interest to ethicists. Technology, in particular rapidly advancing fields concerned with or dependent on the use of computers, such as genetic engineering, are not without ethical challenges, and in the twenty-first century, ethical considerations have accelerated along with the possibilities.

Overview

“Technoethics” is the combination of the ideas of technology and ethics. Technology concerns the development and use of tools to solve problems or to make life easier, while ethics concerns the study of what is right or wrong and what is fair or unfair. In the past, technology could refer to relatively simple things such as the wheelbarrow or a particular method of planting grain. More recently, technology tends to concern the use of computers, the Internet, and advanced processes such as genetic engineering. Technology in the age of the Internet grows at an ever-increasing pace as the availability of more information makes it possible for research to advance further and faster than ever before. This acceleration, however, is not without its ethical challenges. All too often, new technologies emphasize what it is possible to accomplish without considering whether or not it is desirable that this end be accomplished.

Ethical debates concerning technology have been around for most of human history, but it is since the Industrial Revolution that they have become more frequent and more serious. The term “serious” is used here not to suggest that older ethical debates were lacking in seriousness, but to emphasize that in the modern era the ethical implications of new technology and new uses of existing technology can have severe and immediate consequences in ways that were not always possible at earlier points in history. Because this is so, it is important to distinguish between consequences due to the use of technology that are undesirable and those that are unethical. All too often, debates concerning technology and ethics confuse these two points, but it is important to remain aware of the distinction (Tran, 2016). For example, the case of making genetic modifications to human DNA in order to produce offspring with or without specific characteristics has potential consequences that are both undesirable and of questionable ethics. Within the category of undesirable consequences is found the possibility that genetic modification of human DNA could produce unintended consequences that are difficult or impossible to contain, such as new diseases or new vulnerabilities to diseases. Although it may sound like science fiction, there remains the possibility that a seemingly innocuous alteration to human DNA, such as changing eye color, could potentially cause unpredicted results like increasing the frequency of certain birth defects or the chances of developing cancer or similar ailments (Parahakaran, 2017).

Researchers in the field of technoethics have begun to distinguish between two broad areas of interest. The first of these concerns the technoethical implications of emerging technologies, while the second area concerns the ways in which technologies alter pre-existing ethical questions by changing the scope of the individual’s influence. The manipulation of human genetic material is an example of a new and still-developing technology that technoethicists are interested in, while an example of a pre-existing ethical question being affected by technological developments can be found in the field of artificial intelligence. “Artificial intelligence” refers to a computer that mimics features of a human mind—information seeking and decision making, for example. Machine learning enables a computer to use information it already possesses to draw conclusions about a problem and carry out a task without explicit instructions from a human controller. As these systems become more complex, computer functions come closer to resembling human thought. This technology allows human beings to delegate high-risk, dangerous, or repetitive tasks, such as surgery, reconnaissance, and manufacturing, to artificial intelligence systems, or “robots.” While fully humanlike artificial intelligence—capable of abstract thinking and self-awareness—has not yet arrived, the prospect of creating a disposable labor force recasts the previously settled ethical question, as to whether people can be enslaved (Wicker & Karlsson, 2017). In other words, if human beings are able to create artificially intelligent machines that are functionally equivalent to living people, these machines may not wish to perform the tasks they were designed to do. In this scenario, technological developments in computer science will have extended the ability of human beings to exert control over other completely new intelligences (Grebenshchikova, 2016).

Applications

Large corporations specializing in the fields of biochemistry and agriculture produce grains that are genetically modified. The goal of these companies in developing modified grains is to increase the grains’ agricultural outputs by, for example, making the grain more resistant to pests and disease. On its face this would appear to be a highly beneficial outcome, because growing more food would mean that more food is available for people around the world, vast numbers of whom do not have enough to eat. Ethical questions have nevertheless arisen.

For example, genetic modifications to crop seed frequently including one to ensure that purchased seed will produce only one generation of crops. This means that a farmer cannot use seed from a crop to replant the following year but must buy a quantity of seed every year. This feature disrupts the traditional model, in which farmers were able to perpetuate crops, developing and improving their own seed. Replanting is a low-cost option for farmers but a problem for commercial seed producers. This genetic modification ensures the corporation that developed the more productive grain will reap annual profits from sale of its seed (Valkenburg, 2013).

A further complication arises due to the natural behavior of crops. Wind carries some of the genetically modified seeds from the land of a farmer who purchased them to the land of a farmer who did not. This is not something that the non-purchasing farmer had any control over, but in some instances corporations have sought to obtain compensation from the farmers in order to protect their intellectual property. The entire issue speaks to the larger question of whether or not it is fair or right for an individual or corporation to have ownership rights over the genetic code of a plant or another organism (Puech, 2013). Wind is also a factor in the destruction of non-genetically modified crops, as herbicides used on modified crops is carried to fields of non-modified crops. Use of modified seed at a single farm, therefore, applies pressure to neighboring farms to also use modified seed. The mere availability of genetically modified seeds has resulted in the necessity of using it, placing a financial burden on farmers because they must cope with the added expense of having to buy brand new seeds every year, which they had not needed to do in the past. Finally, the expanded use of pesticides on genetically modified crops, which is necessary to reap the benefits of the genetic modifications, comes with its own set of ethical questions.

In the field of medicine, ethical questions have arisen where researchers in a number of cases have encountered tissues from individuals that are uniquely able to produce certain biochemical substances that hold great promise for the treatment of diseases. Upon making this discovery, some researchers have sought to obtain patents over the creation of these substances, even though the creation was only made possible by the bodily tissue of a person who is not included in the patent protection and therefore will not derive any benefit from it. Ethical concerns surrounding this type of situation include whether or not it should be permissible to file a patent over a chemical substance produced by a living organism, particularly when that substance may be vitally important to the treatment of disease, as well as whether it is fair for the researchers to benefit financially from possessing a patent on the substance and not sharing those benefits with the person whose tissue made them possible (Brusoni & Vaccaro, 2017).

Issues

Technoethics frequently is the cause of conflict between various parties interested in a given topic. In many of these cases the essential nature of the conflict is that one party is in favor of the use of the technology or the development of technology, while the other party, composed of the technoethicists, is concerned about the consequences of the use of or development of the technology. The proponents of the technology tend to frame the issue as technoethicists putting up obstacles to progress. The technoethicists, on the other hand, feel that they are posing the underlying question of whether or not the technology could actually be accurately described as progress (Cortes Pascual, 2005). From the perspective of technoethicists, their role is not to stand in the way of progress but to help other segments of society more accurately identify what is and is not progress. Their view is that if a new technology or a new use of technology comes along with consequences that are undesirable, and undesirable in such a degree that they outweigh the benefits of the technology, then the technology does not represent progress and may actually be a step backward. The debate between technological progress and ethics is not a new one. In fact, it dates back to one of the ethical philosophies that has been around for hundreds of years. This is called utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is an outlook based on the idea that whatever has the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people is the right thing to do, without regard to any other considerations. In debates between technoethicists and researchers, the researchers often have a utilitarian perspective because they are focused on what the specific technology can do and how it would benefit people, and because they consider this benefit to be significant, they tend to discount other considerations (Schulzke & Luppicini, 2014).

The example of genetically modified seeds is also an excellent example of utilitarianism and technoethics in conflict. The developers of the genetically modified seeds primarily are concerned with their utility. Because they have a greater output of food, this is seen as the overriding concern by this group. There is, however, another concern that they may not be aware of or sensitive to, and this is the issue of biodiversity. In nature there are often many different kinds of seeds for a particular plant or variety of crop. This would change if researchers develop a genetically modified version of the seed that is not only designed to produce more food but also designed to be genetically successful, essentially driving out competing versions of itself and leaving only a single type of seed to be used by human beings.

From the researchers’ perspective this is most likely not a problem, but from the perspective of environmentalists and others it is dangerous to cause other variations of seeds to die out, because they may have unique properties that could be vitally important in the future. It is this unpredictability that always occurs in conjunction with technological development that concerns technoethicists above all else. Time and again throughout history, a scientific breakthrough has occurred that transforms the lives of people all over the world, providing them with incredible benefits, only for it to later be discovered that these benefits come at a high cost. For example, the invention of the internal combustion engine and other advances in energy technologies drove the fossil fuel industry, resulting is more comfortable and convenient living globally but at a cost of lasting environmental devastation of many areas and changes to the planet’s climate.

In the hope of preventing humanity from repeating this scenario too many times, technoethicists consider new technologies in the light of not only what the benefits are known or expected to be but also what humanity may be expected to give up or suffer in order to receive those benefits. If the answer is that the cost is unknown or unpredictable or potentially too great, then the proper course of action is to apply restraints on development and commercial distribution or to reconsider the value of the technology. If this type of discernment process had been followed when the combustion engine was first invented, technoethicists argue, it might very well be that the modern world would not be grappling with the effects of climate change caused by the emission of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels. While there may be tension between scientific and technological innovators and technoethicists, history makes a strong case for rigorous examination of technological consequences for the future of humankind (Heller, 2012).

Terms & Concepts

Artificial Intelligence: A computer system that possesses the same or similar analytical qualities as the human mind, in terms of processing information and drawing conclusions. Artificial intelligence is seen as a field full of potential dangers and benefits.

Bioethics: The study of issues surrounding advances in medicine and biology.

Genetic Modification: The laboratory-based modification of an organism’s genetic code. This differs from traditional hybridization or breeding in that changes are made using genetic material that is alien to the organism being modified.

Patent: A legally recognized claim to an invention, process, or material. Patents confer ownership on the claimant and thus control of research on and commercial use of the patented property.

Robot: A deployment of artificial intelligence in the form of a device capable of performing a task or tasks without explicit instructions from a human.

Utilitarianism: A philosophical school of thought that evaluates the rightness or wrongness of an action based on whether it produces the largest benefit for the greatest number of people.

Bibliography

Brusoni, S., & Vaccaro, A. (2017). Ethics, technology and organizational innovation. Journal of Business Ethics, 143(2), 223–226.

Bułat, R., & Zep, A. (2017). Posthumanism, androids and artificial intelligence: An aspect cultural, biological and ethical. International Academic Conference on Social Sciences, 36–41. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=133221086&site=ehost-live

Grebenshchikova, E. (2016). NBIC-convergence and technoethics: Common ethical perspective. International Journal of Technoethics, 7(1), 77–84.

Heller, P. B. (2012). Technoethics: The dilemma of doing the right moral thing in technology applications. International Journal of Technoethics, 3(1), 14–27.

Parahakaran, S. (2017). An analysis of theories related to experiential learning for practical ethics in science and technology. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(6), 1014–1020.

Pavone, V., & Martinelli, L. (2015). Cisgenics as emerging bio-objects: bio-objectification and bio-identification in agrobiotech innovation. New Genetics & Society, 34(1), 52–71. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=100826022&site=ehost-live

Schulzke, M., & Luppicini, R. (2014). Military technoethics beyond. International Journal of Technoethics, 5(1), iv–vi.

Tran, B. (2016). Machine (technology) ethics: The theoretical and philosophical paradigms. International Journal of Technoethics, 7(2), 77–99.

Upadhyay, P. (2016). Climate Change as Ecological Colonialism: Dilemma of Innocent Victims. Himalayan Journal of Sociology & Anthropology, 7, 111–140. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=123284426&site=ehost-live

Young-Joo Lee, & Ji-Young Park. (2018). Identification of future signal based on the quantitative and qualitative text mining: a case study on ethical issues in artificial intelligence. Quality & Quantity, 52(2), 653–667. Retrieved January 1, 2019 from EBSCO Online Database Sociology Source Ultimate. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sxi&AN=128222720&site=ehost-live

Technoethics and Society

On this Page

Subject Terms

Technoethics and Society

Abstract

Overview

Applications

Issues

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

Suggested Reading