Technology

·         “techne” and “logos”.

·         A discourse on art (Buchanan, 2010)

·         Concepts like machines and tools were also attached to the word “technology”

·         In one way or another, each person in the society is directly or indirectly affected by
technology whether he wills it or not.

·         Most people survive their everyday lives with great reliance to the different
technological advancements already available to the masses.

·         Technology is already an inevitable part of the society.

Necessity or Want?

ü  Convenience

ü  Pleasure

ü  Happiness

ü  Communication

·         Anything too much is bad.

·         Various ethical dilemmas involving the use of technological devices.

·         Misuse or invention to produce bad results.

Television sets, Mobile Phones, Computers and Humanity

Television

·         According to Kantar Media, in the Philippines, 92% of urban homes an 70% percent of
rural homes own at least one television set.

·         Households with tv set reached 15.35 million (Noda, 2012)

·         Ultimate medium for advertisement placements

·         Almost all use this particular type of device.

·         Television plays a great role in the lives of the people.

Paul Gottlieb Nipkow

·         Late 1800s

·         Successful in his attempt to send images through wires with the aid of a rotating
metal disk (Nipkow disk)

·         “Electric telescope”- 18 lines of resolution.

Alan Archibald Campbell- Swinton and Boris Rosing

·         New system of television by using the cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical
scanner system.

Mobile Phones

·         Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere, anytime.

·         More than half of the Filipino population own at least one mobile phone regardless of
type.

·         2010, Synovate declared 67 % product ownership in the country.

·         Mobile phones are considered a must-have among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News,
2010).
·         1 out 0f 3 Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone- Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines
Nationwide Urban 2011-2012 survey.

o   The first call ever made on a cell phone, was from an engineer named Martin Cooper
calling a rival engineer to brag about his accomplishment.

o   Mobile phone used by Cooper (Motorola DynaTAC 8000x in 1983.

Computer and Laptops

·         Not possible for all Filipino families to own at least one computer or laptop.

·         Most profits gained by computer and laptop manufacturers come from offices,
businesses, or schools.

·         Growing number of Internet users in the Philippines, problems regarding the Internet
providers.

Charles Babbage

·         Release in June 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation, the Osborne 1 is

considered to be the first true portable, full-featured computer.

Facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the Internet:

·         Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.

·         3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop daily.

·         Philippine has one of the highest digital populations in the world.

·         47 million active facebook accounts.

·         Fastest-growing application market in SEA.

Roles played by these Technological Advancements

·         Television sets

·         Mobile phones

·         Computers and laptops

Ethical Dilemmas

1.      Most parents would argue that these devices make their children lazy and unhealthy.

2.      People are freely exposed to different things on televisions, mobile phones, laptops or
computers.

Ethics of Responsibility

-          “what ought to be allowed?”

Robotics and Humanity

Robot

·         An actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree of

autonomy, moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks.

·         Autonomy- ability to perform intended tasks based on current state and sensing
without human intervention.

Service Robot

·         A robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding industrial
application.

·         A robot may be classified according to its intended application as an industrial robot
or a service robot.

Personal Service Robot

·         Service robot for personal use.

·         Used for noncommercial task, usually by laypersons.

·         Examples: domestic servant robot, automated wheelchair, personal mobility assist
robot, pet exercising robot.

Professional Service Robot

·         Service robot for professional use.

·         Used for a commercial task, usually operated by a properly trained operator.

·         Examples: cleaning robot for public places, delivery robot, firefighting robot,
rehabilitation robot, surgery robot.

George Devol

·         An American inventor known for developing Unimate, the first material handling
robot employed in industrial production work.

Roles Played by Robotics

·         Ease the workload of mankind.

·         Make life more efficient and less stressful.

·         Perform complicated activities.

·         Pleasure, entertainment in parks or exhibits.

·         Toys, child-friendly

·         Used in movies.

Isaac Asimov

·         Was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University.

Three (3) Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov

1.      A robot may not injure a human being or through inaction, allow a human being to
come harm.

2.      A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.

3.      A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
with the first or second law.

Ethical Dilemma/s faced by Robotics

1.      Safety

o   Who should be held accountable if someone’s safety is compromised by a robot?

o   Who should be blamed, the robot, the agent using the robot, or the maker/inventor of
the robot?

2.      Emotional Component

o   It is not completely impossible for robots to develop emotions.

o    What if robots become sentient?

o   Should they be granted robot rights?

Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us?

Concern for Humanity

-          Bill Joy, the author of the Article “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us”, brings no joy to
readers when discussing how the advancement of technology will affect the human race.
His views on the progression of technology in the world embody a skeptical outlook on
peaceful relations with machines if/when robots become “intelligent”.

Why haven’t others take notice of the possible dangers?

-          If Joy’s concerns are valid, why is it that most people aren’t taking interest towards
this topic?

-          Do any of you feel that because technology and humanity are so well blended
together that the thought of technology turning against us does not cross our mind?

Setting the Scene

-          To discuss the possible outcomes of intelligent life, one must have a context that
helps explain the outcomes. A passage quoted in the article sets up two scenarios,
assuming all human work is now done by highly organized systems made of intelligent
machines.

1.      Machines are permitted to make all their own decisions.

2.      Human control over the machines will be retained.

The Possible Outcomes

In respect to the first scenario, the possible outcome described by Kaczynski is as follows:

a.      Intelligent robots do all the work and make their own decisions.

b.      Though we are not making the assumption that the machines would willfully seize the
power, it is evident that the fate of the human race would be in their hands because they
are doing all the labor.

c.       Because it is impossible to guess the behavior of a machine, the possibility that they
seize power is very real.

d.      If machines do decide to act in a threatening way towards the human race, there will
be no defense against the attack thus making certain the doom of the human race.

In the second scenario, Kaczynski’s description of the outcome is as follows:

a.      The human race retains power over the machines.

b.      The few who are considered the elite take control over the large systems of machines
while the average man has his private machines like cars.

c.       Because the machines are doing all the work, human will become a useless burden
on the system thus leaving the elite with a few choices on what to do with humanity.

o   If the elite are ruthless, which many of them are, they can choose to exterminate
humanity with the intelligent robots.

o   If the elite are humane, they can lower reproduction rate until the mass of humanity
goes extinct.

o   If the elite are soft-hearted liberals they can take care of the masses, but only in order to
domesticate them.
What would you do?

If you had to choose whether to trust intelligent machines with the capability of making
their own decisions or letting the elite have control over the large system of machines that
do all the work humans once did, which would you prefer?

Chapter 7: When Technology and Humanity Cross

Chapter 7:  When Technology and Humanity Cross

Technology

·         “techne” and “logos”.

·         A discourse on art (Buchanan, 2010)

·         Concepts like machines and tools were also attached to the word “technology”

·         In one way or another, each person in the society is directly or indirectly affected by
technology whether he wills it or not.

·         Most people survive their everyday lives with great reliance to the different
technological advancements already available to the masses.

·         Technology is already an inevitable part of the society.

Necessity or Want?

ü  Convenience

ü  Pleasure

ü  Happiness

ü  Communication
·         Anything too much is bad.

·         Various ethical dilemmas involving the use of technological devices.

·         Misuse or invention to produce bad results.

Television sets, Mobile Phones, Computers and Humanity

Television

·         According to Kantar Media, in the Philippines, 92% of urban homes an 70% percent of
rural homes own at least one television set.

·         Households with tv set reached 15.35 million (Noda, 2012)

·         Ultimate medium for advertisement placements

·         Almost all use this particular type of device.

·         Television plays a great role in the lives of the people.

Paul Gottlieb Nipkow

·         Late 1800s

·         Successful in his attempt to send images through wires with the aid of a rotating
metal disk (Nipkow disk)

·         “Electric telescope”- 18 lines of resolution.

Alan Archibald Campbell- Swinton and Boris Rosing

·         New system of television by using the cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical
scanner system.

Mobile Phones

·         Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere, anytime.

·         More than half of the Filipino population own at least one mobile phone regardless of
type.

·         2010, Synovate declared 67 % product ownership in the country.

·         Mobile phones are considered a must-have among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News,
2010).

·         1 out 0f 3 Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone- Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines
Nationwide Urban 2011-2012 survey.

o   The first call ever made on a cell phone, was from an engineer named Martin Cooper
calling a rival engineer to brag about his accomplishment.

o   Mobile phone used by Cooper (Motorola DynaTAC 8000x in 1983.

Computer and Laptops

·         Not possible for all Filipino families to own at least one computer or laptop.

·         Most profits gained by computer and laptop manufacturers come from offices,
businesses, or schools.

·         Growing number of Internet users in the Philippines, problems regarding the Internet
providers.

Charles Babbage
·         Release in June 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation, the Osborne 1 is
considered to be the first true portable, full-featured computer.

Facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the Internet:

·         Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.

·         3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop daily.

·         Philippine has one of the highest digital populations in the world.

·         47 million active facebook accounts.

·         Fastest-growing application market in SEA.

Roles played by these Technological Advancements

·         Television sets

·         Mobile phones

·         Computers and laptops

Ethical Dilemmas

1.      Most parents would argue that these devices make their children lazy and unhealthy.

2.      People are freely exposed to different things on televisions, mobile phones, laptops or
computers.

Ethics of Responsibility

-          “what ought to be allowed?”

Robotics and Humanity

Robot

·         An actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree of

autonomy, moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks.
·         Autonomy- ability to perform intended tasks based on current state and sensing
without human intervention.

Service Robot

·         A robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding industrial
application.

·         A robot may be classified according to its intended application as an industrial robot
or a service robot.

Personal Service Robot

·         Service robot for personal use.

·         Used for noncommercial task, usually by laypersons.

·         Examples: domestic servant robot, automated wheelchair, personal mobility assist

robot, pet exercising robot.

Professional Service Robot

·         Service robot for professional use.

·         Used for a commercial task, usually operated by a properly trained operator.

·         Examples: cleaning robot for public places, delivery robot, firefighting robot,
rehabilitation robot, surgery robot.

George Devol

·         An American inventor known for developing Unimate, the first material handling
robot employed in industrial production work.

Roles Played by Robotics

·         Ease the workload of mankind.

·         Make life more efficient and less stressful.

·         Perform complicated activities.

·         Pleasure, entertainment in parks or exhibits.

·         Toys, child-friendly

·         Used in movies.

Isaac Asimov

·         Was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University.

Three (3) Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov

1.      A robot may not injure a human being or through inaction, allow a human being to
come harm.

2.      A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.

3.      A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
with the first or second law.

Ethical Dilemma/s faced by Robotics

1.      Safety

o   Who should be held accountable if someone’s safety is compromised by a robot?

o   Who should be blamed, the robot, the agent using the robot, or the maker/inventor of
the robot?

2.      Emotional Component

o   It is not completely impossible for robots to develop emotions.

o    What if robots become sentient?

o   Should they be granted robot rights?

Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us?

Concern for Humanity

-          Bill Joy, the author of the Article “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us”, brings no joy to
readers when discussing how the advancement of technology will affect the human race.
His views on the progression of technology in the world embody a skeptical outlook on
peaceful relations with machines if/when robots become “intelligent”.

Why haven’t others take notice of the possible dangers?

-          If Joy’s concerns are valid, why is it that most people aren’t taking interest towards
this topic?

-          Do any of you feel that because technology and humanity are so well blended
together that the thought of technology turning against us does not cross our mind?

Setting the Scene

-          To discuss the possible outcomes of intelligent life, one must have a context that
helps explain the outcomes. A passage quoted in the article sets up two scenarios,
assuming all human work is now done by highly organized systems made of intelligent
machines.

1.      Machines are permitted to make all their own decisions.

2.      Human control over the machines will be retained.

The Possible Outcomes

In respect to the first scenario, the possible outcome described by Kaczynski is as follows:

a.      Intelligent robots do all the work and make their own decisions.

b.      Though we are not making the assumption that the machines would willfully seize the
power, it is evident that the fate of the human race would be in their hands because they
are doing all the labor.

c.       Because it is impossible to guess the behavior of a machine, the possibility that they
seize power is very real.

d.      If machines do decide to act in a threatening way towards the human race, there will
be no defense against the attack thus making certain the doom of the human race.

In the second scenario, Kaczynski’s description of the outcome is as follows:

a.      The human race retains power over the machines.

b.      The few who are considered the elite take control over the large systems of machines
while the average man has his private machines like cars.

c.       Because the machines are doing all the work, human will become a useless burden
on the system thus leaving the elite with a few choices on what to do with humanity.

o   If the elite are ruthless, which many of them are, they can choose to exterminate
humanity with the intelligent robots.

o   If the elite are humane, they can lower reproduction rate until the mass of humanity
goes extinct.

o   If the elite are soft-hearted liberals they can take care of the masses, but only in order to
domesticate them.

What would you do?

If you had to choose whether to trust intelligent machines with the capability of making
their own decisions or letting the elite have control over the large system of machines that
do all the work humans once did, which would you prefer?

Aristotle

·         Ancient Greek Philosopher.

·         Known for his natural philosophy, logic and political theory.

More on Aristotle:

o   One of the greatest thinkers in the history of western science and philosophy, making
contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics,
agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre.

o   First to classify areas of human knowledge into distinct disciplines such as mathematics,
biology, and ethics.

o   Founder of the Lyceum, first scientific institute, based in Athens, Greece.

o   One of the strongest advocates of a liberal arts education, which stresses the education
of the whole person, including one’s moral character, rather than merely learning a set of
skills.

Nichomachean Ethics 2:2

·         All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquire, and similarly
every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some god; and for this reason the good has
been rightly declared as that at which all things aim.

What is meant by good life?

·         Living in comfort and luxury with few problems or worries.

·         Characterized by happiness from living and doing well.

·         Content.

What is Eudimonia?

·         Came from the Greek word eu meaning “good” and daimon meaning “spirit”.

·         Refers to the good life marked by happiness and excellence.

·         Flourishing life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human person to
be the best version of himself/herself.

Aristotle’s view of Good Life

·         The activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.

·         Believed that good for humans in the maximum realization of what was unique to
humans.

·         The good for humans was to reason well.

·         The task of reason was to teach humans how to act virtuously, and the exercise
faculties in accordance with virtue.

Virtue/s
·         Behavior showing high moral standards.

·         “paragons of virtue”

·         Synonyms, goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, ethicalness, uprightness,

upstandingness, integrity, dignity, rectitude, honesty, honourableness, honorability, honor,
incorruptibility, probity, propriety, decency, respectability, nobility, nobility of soul/spirit,
nobleness, worthiness, worth, good, trustworthiness, meritoriousness, irreproachableness,
blamelessness, purity, pureness, lack of corruption, merit; principles, high principles, ethics.

Nicomachean Ethics 2:1

Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main owes its
birth and growth in teaching (for its reason it requires experience and time). While moral virtue
comes about as a result of habit.

The Virtues:

Intellectual Virtue Moral Virtue

·         Theoretical wisdom (thinking and truth) ·         Controlled by practical wisdom (ability
to make right judgment).
·         Practical wisdom ·         Owed its development to how one
nurtured it as habit.
·         Understanding. Experience and time ·         Can be leaned.
are necessary requirements for the
development of intellectual virtue.
 

Happiness to Aristotle

·         “Happiness depends on ourselves.”

·         Central purpose of human life and a goal in itself.

·         Depends on the cultivation of virtue.

·         A genuinely happy life required the fulfilment of a broad range of conditions,
including physical as well as mental well-being.

Happiness as the Ultimate Purpose of Human Existence

·         Happiness is a final end or goal that encompasses the totality of one’s life.
·         It is not something that can be gained or lost in a few hours, like pleasurable
sensations.

·         It is more like the ultimate value of your life as lived up to this moment, measuring
how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being.

Science and Technology and Good Life

·         Science and Technology is also the movement towards good life.

·         Science and Technology are one of the highest expressions of human faculties.

·         Science and Technology allow us to thrive and flourish if we desire it.

·         Science and Technology may corrupt a person.

·         Science and Technology with virtue can help an individual to be out of danger.

Why is it that everyone is in the pursuit of the good life?

·         “Life is good! It is only our thoughts, choices and actions towards the situations we
meet in life each moment of time that makes life look bad! The same bad situation in life
that makes one person think badly inspires another to do a noble thing! The same good
situation in life that makes one person feel so good to get into a bad situation inspires
another person to create another good situation because of the good situation. It is all
about thoughts, choices and actions! Life is good! Live it well!”- Ernest Agyemang Yeboah.

One must find the truth about what the good is before one can even try to locate that which is
good.