Page 94 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution

eradicating genetic diseases to augmenting human cognition. These will

raise some of the biggest ethical and spiritual questions we face as human
beings (see Box H: On the Ethical Edge).

Box H: On the Ethical Edge

Technological advances are pushing us to new frontiers of ethics. Should we

use the staggering advances in biology only to cure disease and repair
injury, or should we also make ourselves better humans? If we accept the
latter, we risk turning parenthood into an extension of the consumer society,

in which case could our children become commoditized as made-to-order
objects of our desire? And what does it mean to be “better”? To be disease
free? To live longer? To be smarter? To run faster? To have a certain
appearance?

We face similarly complex and on-the-edge questions with artificial

intelligence. Consider the possibility of machines thinking ahead of us or
even out-thinking us. Amazon and Netflix already possess algorithms that
predict which films and books we may wish to watch and read. Dating and
job placement sites suggest partners and jobs – in our neighbourhood or
anywhere in the world – that their systems figure might suit us best. What do

we do? Trust the advice provided by an algorithm or that offered by family,
friends or colleagues? Would we consult an AI-driven robot doctor with a
perfect or near-perfect diagnostic success rate – or stick with the human

physician with the assuring bedside manner who has known us for years?
When we consider these examples and their implications for humans, we

are in uncharted territory – the dawn of a human transformation unlike
anything we have experienced before.

Another substantial issue relates to the predictive power of artificial
intelligence and machine learning. If our own behaviour in any situation
becomes predictable, how much personal freedom would we have or feel

that we have to deviate from the prediction? Could this development
potentially lead to a situation where human beings themselves begin to act
as robots? This also leads to a more philosophical question: How do we

maintain our individuality, the source of our diversity and democracy, in the
digital age?

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