How ethics will change the future of technology | Olivia Gambelin | TEDxPatras

Summary

In her enlightening TEDx talk, Olivia Gambelin delves into the intersection of ethics and technology, emphasizing the importance of integrating human values into tech development. Through the lens of robotics, neural networks, and datasets, Gambelin illustrates how technology mirrors humanity's physical and cognitive traits but often omits moral values. She argues that ethics serve as a compass, guiding us to align technology with human values to create tech that supports and enhances our lives rather than exploiting us. By making conscious, ethically guided decisions, we can develop technology that truly reflects and upholds our humanity.

Highlights

• Our technology, like robotics and neural networks, reflects our physical and mental traits. 🤖
• Ethics is the tool to determine if our actions align with our values. 🛠️
• Good tech supports connection and communication, avoiding exploitation. 🤝
• Integrating ethics into tech leads to empowering and human-centered technology. 🔍
• Evaluating tech requires asking if it enhances or hinders human potential. 📈

Key Takeaways

• Technology mirrors our humanity but often lacks moral values. 🕊️
• Ethics should guide tech development to align it with human values. 🧭
• We must consciously decide if tech aids or hinders humanity. 🤔
• True human-technology synergy achieves our potential rather than constrains us. 🌟
• Good technology empowers human values and supports fulfilling lives. 🤖

Overview

In the increasingly digital age, Olivia Gambelin highlights a critical oversight in tech development: the lack of ethics. Through captivating examples spanning robotics, neural networks, and datasets, she reveals how technology reflects our biological and cognitive makeup but neglects our moral framework. She argues that incorporating ethics into tech, akin to a compass, ensures that technology aligns with human values and supports our pursuit of a good, meaningful life.

Gambelin challenges us to reevaluate the purpose of our technology, questioning whether current advancements truly enhance human life or exploit inherent vulnerabilities. Consciously integrating ethics into technology, she claims, will help create systems that uplift humanity, fostering genuine connection, communication, and personal growth, rather than manipulation or division.

Ultimately, the talk serves as a call to redefine 'good tech' as technology that propels us towards our fullest potential. By prioritizing ethical principles, we can create tech that honors human dignity, respects privacy, and supports personal and societal fulfillment, making it an invaluable partner in our collective journey toward a better future.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 02:00: Introduction to Shared Humanity This chapter serves as an introduction to the concept of shared humanity through the lens of technology. It begins with a question that prompts readers to consider the commonalities between a robotic arm, a neural network, and a large dataset. These elements are explored as metaphors or tools in understanding and enhancing the interconnectedness of human experiences and capabilities. The chapter sets the stage for a deeper exploration into how technology and human identity intertwine. It is likely to touch on themes of artificial intelligence, empathy, and collaboration, drawing connections between technological advancements and their implications for human society.
• 02:00 - 04:00: The Essence of Humanity The chapter explores the concept of humanity as the core solution to problems, rather than relying solely on technology or artificial intelligence. It discusses how robotic arms mimic human anatomy and functionality, but emphasizes that the true answer lies in embracing human qualities and capabilities.
• 04:00 - 06:00: The Role of Ethics in Human Life In this chapter, the discussion centers around the parallels between robotics and the human body, emphasizing that robots, though made of metal and gears, perform similar functions to humans by interacting with their environment. It also mentions neural networks, highlighting their conceptual basis in the human brain. The analysis reflects on how robotics are essentially a mirror of human physiology and cognition when engaging with the world.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Ethics in Daily Decision Making This chapter examines the concept of ethics within the context of daily decision making and draws parallels between artificial neural networks and human cognitive processes. Neural networks, which consist of artificial neurons or nodes, mimic the way human neurons function, with each node receiving and transmitting information. This comparison reflects on how our minds process data and interact with our surroundings. Furthermore, the chapter touches upon the role of datasets, which are collections of information points, highlighting their significance in both neural networks and ethical decision-making.
• 08:00 - 10:00: Technology and Its Reflection of Humanity The chapter explores the relationship between technology and human behavior. It discusses how various data points, such as flossing frequency, eye movement, and heart rate when looking at a loved one, serve as a reflection of human habits and activities. This collection of data forms patterns that reveal connections between technology and humanity.
• 10:00 - 12:00: What Good Technology Should Be This chapter explores the idea that technology is a reflection of humanity, rather than a separate or mysterious entity. The discussion encourages thinking about what it truly means to be human, taking into consideration our mind, body, and behaviors.
• 12:00 - 14:00: A Vision for Ethical Technology The chapter "A Vision for Ethical Technology" explores what it truly means to be human, focusing on the more intangible aspects such as emotions, dreams, beliefs, love, and the importance of human connections. It emphasizes the idea that being human involves having values and standing by them, signifying a depth beyond mere existence.
• 14:00 - 15:30: Conclusion and Call to Action The chapter reflects on the need to base our lives on core human values, emphasizing that as inherently moral beings, our technology should also embody these values. It notes a disconnect between current technology and essential human morality, pondering where this divergence began.

How ethics will change the future of technology | Olivia Gambelin | TEDxPatras Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Transcriber: Si Gut Reviewer: Robert Tucker I want to start with a question: What do these three things have in common: a robotic arm, a neural network, a large dataset?
• 00:30 - 01:00 The answer I'm looking for, it's not technology, it's not artificial intelligence, it's not even tools. The answer I'm looking for is humanity. Let's take a closer look. Robotic arms. These are machines programmed to function like a human arm. The robot has a wrist, an elbow, a shoulder, just like a human would,
• 01:00 - 01:30 only the robot is metal and gears, instead of muscle and bone. It picks things up, it puts things down. We pick things up, we put things down. Robotics are a reflection of our human body, and how it interacts with the world around us. Neural networks. These are computing systems conceptually derived from the human brain.
• 01:30 - 02:00 These neural networks are comprised of artificial neurons, also known as nodes, and each node has an input that produces an output that can be sent to other nodes. This all functions like a biological neuron. Neural networks are a reflection of how our human minds interact with information in the world around us. Datasets. Datasets are a collection of information points
• 02:00 - 02:30 on human habits and activities, everything from how often in a year you actually floss, to how your eyes move across the screen, to how fast your heart beats when you're looking at someone you love. Datasets are a collection and a reflection of how our human behavior forms patterns in the world around us.
• 02:30 - 03:00 So you see, our technology is not some grand, mysterious thing outside of our comprehension and control. Our technology, at its most basic level, is a reflection of our humanity. Which leads me to my next question: What does it mean to be human? So far, we've covered our mind, our body, our behaviors.
• 03:00 - 03:30 But is this all there really is to being human? What about our emotions, those messy feelings, our dreams and aspirations, our ability to believe in something and to have the strength to stand for it? What about love and our need to cherish the connections with those around us? To be human means to have values,
• 03:30 - 04:00 and to build our life on these values. We, as humans, are innately moral creatures. And if our technology is supposed to be a reflection of our humanity, then why does our technology today miss this crucial element of our humanity? Well, it's all because somewhere along the way,
• 04:00 - 04:30 we forgot about one of the most powerful tools we have as humans in creating and building a life and technology of values. This tool is ethics. Allow me to explain by first looking at how we use ethics in our daily lives as humans. I want you all to take a moment and ask yourselves: What is a good life?
• 04:30 - 05:00 What would it mean to live this life? What would that even look like? Now, I can guarantee you that there are hundreds of different good lives being pictured in this room at this very moment. But the beautiful thing is that even though we may all have a different conception of what it means to live that good life, all of our good lives share a common thread.
• 05:00 - 05:30 Details aside, what you're picturing right now is a fulfilling life of purpose. Although there may be elements of la dolce vita, a good life, at the end of the day, is one [where] you can sit on your deathbed with a sense of peace, knowing that you found fulfillment, that you fulfilled your purpose. Where do we find this purpose, though?
• 05:30 - 06:00 In this life, our purpose is found in the values that define us. Whether these values be love of family, freedom to speak and be heard, resilience in the face of seemingly unmovable mountains, our values come in so many shapes and sizes. But at the end of the day, what makes a value is the conviction to say: "Here I stand, and you won't move me."
• 06:00 - 06:30 Now, how do we live this life? In theory, sounds beautiful, but I'm sure we can all agree it's not as straightforward as we would hope. It's easy to get lost in the day-to-day. It's easy to forget that we're here to fulfill a purpose. It's easy to forget that the good life is always within reach, it's just a few good decisions away.
• 06:30 - 07:00 This is exactly where ethics comes into the equation. You see, at its root, ethics is a reflexive tool that we are constantly using in our daily lives. Sometimes it's consciously, as you sit and decide whether or not to bail your friend out of a financial crisis, if you'll join that protest
• 07:00 - 07:30 against that law that you disagree with, if you'll join that organization for that cause that sits at your core. And sometimes ethics is unconscious, that gut instinct that causes you to act in a split second, to throw yourself in front of a car to save that child, to offer the homeless man on the corner your jacket on a cold night. What you're doing, at either end of these extremes,
• 07:30 - 08:00 and everything in between, is using ethics as a tool in the pursuit of your good life. If a good life is a life in which your actions reflect your values, then the opposite of this life is a life in which you have no values, or, even worse, actively go against these values. You see, ethics is the tool we use to reflect and determine if our actions are in alignment with our values.
• 08:00 - 08:30 Think of it this way: Your purpose is like an end destination on a map. Your values are the directions you need to follow to reach that destination. And ethics, that's the compass. That's the compass that allows you, enables you, to follow those directions to reach your final destination. Remember how I said a good life is always within reach,
• 08:30 - 09:00 just takes a few good decisions? What I mean by this is: If we use ethics to guide our decisions in a way that aligns our actions with our values, that's fulfillment, that's purpose, that's practicing ethics. Now, what in the world does this have to do with technology? Probably sitting here going, "I like values, I like a good life,
• 09:00 - 09:30 but weren't we supposed to talk about tech?" Well, you see, our technology is a reflection of our humanity. And now that we understand how to use ethics on the human level, we can start to look at how to use ethic on the technological level. And I'm going to start with the same question. What is good technology?
• 09:30 - 10:00 What does it mean for tech to be good? What would this even look like? Is it a social media network designed to capitalize on our insecurities, and thrive off of content full of hate and anger? Is it a health app that tracks every single one of our movements, whether we know it or not, only to take that information and sell it to insurance companies?
• 10:00 - 10:30 Is it a credit scoring algorithm that takes the zip code you were born in to determine how likely you'll be to default on a bank loan? Is it an HR hiring software that, despite your best efforts, can tell your gender, based off of the adjectives you use to describe yourself, and whether or not you'll be a good fit for that role? Is it a recommendation system, designed to pursue profit
• 10:30 - 11:00 at the very cost of dignity of the individual? Is this good tech? Because this is the technology that we have today. This is not some tech that we're building in the future; this is technology that we have built and are using. Is this good tech? Is this really what we wanted? No, of course not. We, as humans,
• 11:00 - 11:30 are so much more than micropayments and privacy invasions, and social scoring, and bottom lines, and filter bubbles, and structural bias. We are more, and we deserve technology that is more. You see, good tech, it's not technology that takes advantage of our human nature; it's technology that helps us embrace the nature of being human.
• 11:30 - 12:00 And we, as humans, are innately moral creatures. We have values, and we find fulfillment in life, we find our purpose in these values, which means our technology needs to be able to support and enable and empower us to live in alignment with these values. That is good tech.
• 12:00 - 12:30 And it's only a few good decisions away. What we've forgotten about in our development of our technology today, what's kept us from the pursuit of good tech We forgot about our most powerful tool. We forgot to pause and critically ask ourselves if what we're building is helping or hindering us.
• 12:30 - 13:00 We forgot to reflect on our habits, and how we engage and use technology in our daily lives. We forgot to align the purpose of our systems with the values we hold as humans. Somehow, somewhere along the way, we forgot all about ethics. Now, I want you all to take a moment and ask yourself: What would this world look like
• 13:00 - 13:30 if we actually used ethics in the design and development What would it mean to align our tech to our values? What would this world look like? It would look like a world full of genuine human connection, where our technology brought us closer together, instead of driving us further apart. It would look like a world in which we all had the freedom
• 13:30 - 14:00 to chase our full potential, no matter the circumstances we were born into, in which technology opened up new avenues for success, instead of leaving our fate up to an algorithm. It would look like a world in which we could rely on each other, in which technology fostered open communication, instead of overbearing surveillance. It would look like a world in which business thrived off of building trustworthy technology,
• 14:00 - 14:30 instead of tech that subtly manipulates users, and promotes this false dichotomy of profit versus principle. It would look like a world full of people pursuing their good lives. So how do we do this? How do we create this world? We bring ethics back into the equation to use as a tool in the pursuit of good tech,
• 14:30 - 15:00 like the compass that guides us along the directions to reach our end destination, we use ethics to guide our design and development decisions to align them with our values to reach that end goal of good technology. To be human means to be an innately moral creature. We have value. We live by these values.
• 15:00 - 15:30 To be human means to have a mind, a body, behaviors, and to have values. Our technology is a reflection of our humanity, and it's about time that that reflection captures all of what it means to be human. Thank you. (Applause)