Emerging technologies
Emerging technologies is a huge subject in computer
ethics. There are many ethical issues brought up by emerging technologies. Some
examples of emerging technologies are: robotics, biomedical, and transportation
just to name a few. The main problem with emerging technologies is that their
full ethical impact on societies is not fully understood or even researched.
Some ethical issues brought on by robotics, and nanobots are invasion of
privacy, medical applications, and warfare. Nanobots are an interesting
subfield of robotics on a molecular level. Applications of nanobots could be used
for a variety of reasons such as mechanical fixes, medical surgeries, spying
(espionage) and warfare. My question to the reader is using ethical backing
should countries, companies and governments restrict the applications for
emerging technologies such as nanobots. Should we only consider the medical
applications why or why not? Emerging technologies in transportation also have
some ethical implications. We now have the technologies to efficiently make
vehicles that produce less carbon monoxide. With global warming being realized
as a threat reducing carbon monoxide is an ethical issue every person on the
planet is a part of. I think we have an ethical duty as primary care takers of
this planet to implement these new transportation technologies more and maybe
develop policies to reduce old transportation ways and promote new more
efficient transportation, such as: biofuels, solar, and battery operated
transportation devices. As new technologies emerge into societies the ethical
problems that arise from them need to be addressed differently than
technologies are now. These technologies could have many positive effects on
society such as decrease in carbon monoxcide into the atmosphere which could
lead to better quality of life in urban areas; clearing up issue related to air
pollution and could help prevent disease associated with air pollution. If we
adopt and make policies that reinforce new fuel sources could help prevent
construction site such as the tar sands in Alberta, Canada which is the world’s
largest construction site created to produce petroleum based product lick oil
and gas. The pollution created from this site could be helped cleaned up on a molecular
scale using nanobots that programed to filter toxic waste. There are also
negative effects this technology could have nanobots could be used by governments
to spy on its citizens and invade our privacy. Deciding what negative and
positive effects these technologies have on society are important in deciding
polices.
Here is a couple related articles.
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