WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS

8.1 INTRODUCTION

The ever-growing society has made people see technology as some form of necessity. Tracing back its
origins, the word “technology” came from the Greek words techne and logos which mean art and word
respectively. Taking the two words together, technology means a discourse on arts (Buchanan, 2010). It first
appeared in the seventeenth century where the concept was only used to talk about the arts, specifically
applied arts. However, as technology progressed, the concept also started to have a wider range of meaning
where art is no longer the only topic included. Concepts like machine and tools were attached to the word
“technology”.

The roles played by technology these days are very crucial not only to a few but also to everyone. In
one way or another, each person in the society is directly or indirectly affected by technology. In fact, most
people survive their everyday lives with great reliance to the different technological advancements already
available to the masses. While there may be some who would claim that their lives are not greatly affected by
technology, the fact cannot be denied that technology is already an inevitable part of the society.

It is with great effort that people were able to achieve such great inventions. It makes life so much easier
and more convenient than ever before. It can clearly be seen from the simple task at home to the most
complicated ones inside the office or laboratory. Technology these days enjoy such frame and glory because of
the many different benefits it brings to mankind. Some would even say that it does not only bring convenience
but also pleasure and happiness to people.

The act of pinpointing a single activity that does not in any way. require the use of technology has
become very hard because almost all activities that humans perform already require the assistance of some
kind of technological advancement. But this is not at all, for there are people who would even argue that
technology has become a necessity and no longer a want. At present, people tend to work very hard in order to
save money to buy these “necessities” while in the past, people only used their money for the thing that would
help them survive like food, housing, and clothing.

In general, technology keeps on progressing due to not only the changing times and environment but
also the ever-progressing mind of mankind. It would not be possible for all these technological advancements to
exist if it were not for the brilliance, creativeness, and power of the mind. However, it is also important to note
that anything too much is bad. The same problem is faced by technology. Although it has been very helpful to
people, it is still not immune to criticism and backlash. Various ethical dilemmas have been identified throughout
time involving the use of different technological devices and its effects to humanity. Usually, different problems
arise when either the technological device available is misused or if in the first place, it was invented to produce
bad results. People who are aware of the possible dangers of the use or misuse of technology are not keeping
still. They lay their dilemmas for the public to see and realize what they are in for.

In this lesson, several technological devices will be properly introduced, the roles they play in society
and their effects, particularly to the lives of the people will be identified, and the problem they face will also be
examined thoroughly.
8.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. Identify the different technological advancement in society;

2. Discuss the development of science and technology in the Philippines;
3. Discuss the effects of the interplay between technology and humanity through the dilemma(s) they
face.

8.3 LESSON 1 TELEVISION SETS, MOBILE PHONES, COMPUTERS, AND

HUMANITY

A number of technological devices can be easily found inside the home, the most accessible place to
anyone. It can be easily inferred that these technological devices are some of the most popular and most
commonly used type of devices across all age groups. Almost all households, if not all, owns this type of
devices. To be more specific, these “celebrities” in the field of technology are television sets, mobile phones
and computers. People all over the world use these technologies every day for different purposes.

First, according to Kantar Media, one of the most trusted television audience measurement providers, in
the Philippines, 92 percent of urban homes and 70 percent of rural homes own at least one television set. It is
for this reason why television remains to be the ultimate medium for advertisement placements (The Manila
Times, 2014). This survey simply shows that almost all Filipinos use this particular type of device. In fact,
Filipinos are believed to have this big fascination for television. Most of the time, they watch television during
their free time or any time of the day when they have nothing important to do. In addition to this, Kantar Media
also reported that in the Philippines, the current count of households with television set already reached 15.135
million (Noda, 2012). This number signifies something, that is, television plays a great role in the lives of the
people or in this case, the Filipinos.

Television was a product of different experiments by various people. Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, a German
student, in the late 1800’s was successful in his attempt to send images through wires with the aid of a rotating
metal disk. This invention was then called the “electric telescope” that had 18 lines of resolution. After
sometime, in 1907, two inventors, Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton who was an English scientist and Boris
Rosing who was a Russian scientist created a new system of television using the cathode ray tube in addition
to the mechanical scanner systems namely, mechanical and electronic television (Jezek, n.d). These
experiments inspired other scientists to improve the previous inventions, which led to the modern television
people now have.

Second, Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere, anytime. They used it for different purposes
other than for communication. More than half of the Filipino population own at least one mobile phone
regardless of type. In 2010, global research agency Synovate conducted a survey and declared 67 percent
product ownership in the country. In fact, it was also claimed that mobile phones are considered a must-have
among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News, 2010). To prove that Filipino really love to use their mobile phones,
the Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines Nationwide Urban 2011-2012 survey results showed that one in every three
Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone. In other words, 30 percent of the Philippine urban population
nationwide said that mobile phones are necessities in life (Roa, 2012).

Mobile phones have a very interesting background story. On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper, a senior
engineer at Motorola, made the world’s first mobile phone call. He called their rival telecommunications
company and properly informed them that he was making a call from a mobile phone. The mobile phone used
by cooper weighed 1.1 kilograms and measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm. This kind of device was capable of a
30-minute talk time. However, it took 10 hours to charge. In 1983. Motorola made their first commercial mobile
phone available to the public. It was known as the Motorola Dyna TAC 8000X (Goodwin, 2016).

Lastly, computers and laptops have also become part of many Filipino households. There are some of
Filipino families who own more than one computer or laptop. However, the number of computers or laptop sold
per year may not be a s high as the number of mobile phones and television sets. This is because of the
relatively higher cost of computers and laptops. While it is true that almost all Filipino families own at least one
television set and a mobile phone, it is not possible for all Filipino families to own at least one computer laptop.
In fact, most of the profits gained by computer and laptop manufacturers come from offices, businesses, or
schools where such devices have become part of their necessities.

In 2010, 3.6 trillion was the estimated total value output of all manufacturing establishments. Semi-
conductor devices and other electronic components took more than half of the total value output of all
manufacturing establishments. To be more specific, 5.4 percent of the total value output came from computers
and peripheral equipment and accessories (PSA, 2013). In line with the growing number of computer and
laptop sales, there has also been growing number of internet users in the Philippines. Although there have been
problems regarding the internet providers, this never hindered Filipinos from continuously using the internet.

Just like television sets and mobile phones, computers and laptops also have a long background history
of trial and error. It was Charles Babbage, a nineteenth-century English Mathematics professor, who designed
the analytical engine which was used as the basic framework of the computers even until the present time. In
general, computers can be classified into three generations. Each generation of the computer was used for a
certain period of time and each gave people a new and improved version of the previous one (Steitz, n.d.).

Laptops have been available to the public for even less time than personal computers. Before, the first
design of computer was so big that it could occupy whole floors of buildings. It was not long before people
started dreaming that they could bring the devices to any place they wished. They hoped that someday it would
be possible for these devices to be portable. It was believed that the transition from a personal to a laptop was
only a matter of design, an improvement and a little deviation from the standard design of a personal computer.
The first true portable computer was released in April 1981. It was called the Osborne I (Orfano, 2011). From
that moment on, the evolution of laptops continued until the present time where various designs and models are
already available.

A typical household owns at least four of the following devices: a mobile phone (89%), smartphone
(53%), tablet (14%), desktop (39%), laptop or netbooks (37%), and smart TV (4%) (Philstar, 2013). These data
prove the deep-seated fascination of Filipinos to different technological devices.

Here are some facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the internet 9Rappler, n.d.)

 Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.

 Filipinos spend approximately 3.2 hours on mobile phone and 5.2 hours on desktop daily.
 Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest digital populations in the world.
 There are now 47 million active Facebook accounts in the Philippines.
 The Philippines is the fastest-growing application market in Southeast Asia.

8.4 LESSON 2 ROLES PLAYED BY THESE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

 Television sets, mobile phones, and computers or laptops all have different functions and roles played in
the lives of the people, although some may be a little similar. These roles have become so essential that
people, more specifically Filipinos, developed a strong inclination toward technology and its products.

For instance, television is mainly used as a flatform for advertisements and information dissemination. In
fact, television remains to be the most used avenue by different advertising companies not only in the
Philippines but also all over the world. Various advertising companies trust that television is still one of the most
technological devices up until today. However, it is important to note that these are just some of the roles
played by the television. Aside from the ones mentioned above, it also serves as recreational activity and good
stress reliever to most Filipino families. Television also is a good platform for different propagandas and
advocacies.

Mobile phones, on the other hand, also have their own roles in the lives of the people. They are primarily
used for communication. Mobile phones offer services like texting and calling. In the past, these were the only
functions of the mobile phone but as the technology progressed, there have been many additional features
included in mobile phones. For example, people use their mobile phones to surf the internet and to take
pictures more than to text or to call. This is the reason why more and more people all over the world prefer to
buy smartphones over the old models. The additional features of smart mobile phones make this particular
technological device very appealing to the masses. It is like an all-in-one device. In addition, it is very portable
and convenient because it can fit into small space.

Personal computers and laptops also have useful set of functions and roles. Although most of the
functions found in these technological devices are now available in mobile phones, they still offer their own
unique features that make them attractive. A lot of people still prefer to do their jobs using a personal computer
or laptop than a mobile phone due to its wider screens, separate keyboard, and the use of mouse or a touch
pad. For the youth and those who love to play computer games, personal computers and laptops are really the
better choice because this allows them to play with comport and convenience. However, it cannot be denied
that some would even prefer laptops over personal computers for the simple reason that there are times when
they need to bring such devices to different places.

8.5 LESSON 3 ETHICAL DILEMMA FACED BY THESE TECHNOLOGICAL

ADVANCMENTS

While it is true that these technological devices are useful and beneficial, the fact remains that there are
several dilemmas faced by these “necessities”. First, most parents would argue that these devices make their
children lazy and unhealthy. This is because people who are fixated on these technological advancements can
start and end their day using the devices. They have a great tendency to sit and chill all day long without doing
anything productive in their home, thus making them unhealthy because they do not just skip meals sometimes
but also lack exercise. It can be inferred that these types of people are already overly dependent on these
technological devices. For example, those who love to watch television show to stay in front of the television for
more than six hours a day while those who love to surf the internet or play computer games on their laptop,
computers, or mobile phones can stay for more than half a day. These people have the tendency to neglect
time because they are engrossed with the use of technological device and even gets annoyed once disturbed.

Another dilemma faced by these technological devices is the moral dilemma. People, especially the
children who are not capable yet of rationally deciding for themselves what is right or wrong, are freely exposed
to different things on television, mobile phones, laptops, or computers. Because of the availability and easy
access to the internet, they can just easily search the web and go to different websites without restrictions. This
allows them to see, read, and hear things which are not suitable for their young age. This makes them very
vulnerable to character change and can greatly affect the way they view the world and the things around them.

On the first dilemma, it is really concerning to know that there are people who develop different kinds of
sickness because of too much use of technological devices. It sometimes causes them to become reclusive,
alienating themselves from other people. Although some would argue that technology brings people together, it
can also be argued that this is not always the case in the real world because it may bring them virtually closer
but not physically and personally. In fact, there are people who are only friends, for example, only on social
media but not in real life. This just show that there are things that technology claims to do but not in reality, does
not. It is for these reasons why there are people who call for the establishment of ethics of technology. This
subcategory of ethics will in one way or another guide people on how technology ought to be used in order to
prevent abuse and other unfortunate results.

Digging deeper, it can be said that these reasons make such devices somewhat unethical because they
bring undesirable consequences to people. However, it can also be argued that it is not the fault of the
technological devices but the agents using them or the ones making them. The classic deontological and
teleological approaches to ethics are already too old to be applied in such cases. This is because technology
has become very complicated and dynamic over time. Having said this, it is true that there are problems and
can no longer be addressed by using these theories only. This is why the ethics or responsibility is an
appropriate theory that can be used in these dilemmas.

The word “responsibility” in the sense of being accountable for the accountable for and accountable to
its very appropriate to the ethics of technology because it makes each and every person in the scientific-
technological development a proxy with reference to one another. In other words, each person must indicate
the priorities, values, norms, and principles that constitute the grounds for one’s action and define one’s
contribution to the scientific technological even. The ethics of responsibility focuses on the positive rather than
the negative.

However, it is also important for the people in the scientific world to inform the masses of the dangers of
their contribution/s to the world of technology. In this way, the people will sufficiently aware of what to do and
not what to do. In addition to this, the agents using the devices should also be accountable to and accountable
for their use of their gadgets.

Going back to the first dilemma, it can be said that the agents using the devices are the ones to be
blamed for the undesirable consequences, namely, laziness and unhealthiness. However, it is the assumption
that the people in the scientific-technological world have properly informed the public of the positive tenor of
their action in technology and the possible dangers of the misuse of their technological contribution. Thus, the
undesirable consequences are bought about by the misuse of the agent. Now, talking about alienation, it can be
concluded that the people in the scientific-technological world are blameworthy because they tell the people
something that seems positive but when examined closely bring worse than good.

On the second dilemma, the people in the scientific world nor the children are blameworthy because
first, the children are not yet capable of rationally deciding for themselves what is good and what is bad.
Second, even if the creators of these technologies went out of their way to inform children of the pros and cons
of these technological contributions, it would still be useless because the children have no capacity to
understand them yet. So, in this dilemma, the ones to be blamed are the adult who allowed the children to have
access to such devices in the first place without any supervision. It is the reckless and overconfidence of the
adults that cause the character change in the children.
8.6 LESSON 4 ROBOTICS AND HUMANITY

Another great product of the innovative minds of the people is the robot. Robots are now widely used.
For example, there are so-called service robots. These particular robots do specific tasks but focus mainly in
assisting their masters in their everyday tasks. The International Federation of Robotic (IFR) and United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) made if their tasks to formulate a working definition for service
robots. A preliminary extract of the relevant definition in (IFR, 2012):

 A robot an actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree of autonomy, moving
within its environment, to perform intended tasks based on current state and sensing without human
intervention.
 A service robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding industrial
automation application.
 A personal service robot or a service robot for personal use is a service robot used for a non-commercial
task, usually by laypersons. Examples are domestic servant robot, automated wheelchair, personal
mobility assist robot, and pet exercising robot.
 A professional service robot or a service robot for professional use is a service robot used for a
commercial task, usually operated by a properly trained operator. Examples are cleaning robot for public
places, delivery robot in offices or hospitals, firefighting robots, rehabilitation robot, and surgery robot in
hospitals. In this context an operator is a person designated to start, monitor, and stop the intended
operation of a robot or robot system.

Germany was one of the first countries to develop service robots. As part of the German
Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s “Service Robotics Innovation Lead Initiative,” it sponsored a
collaborative project called DESIRE (Deutsche Servicerobotik Initiative-Germany Service Robotics Initiative)
which was launched on October 1, 2005. Desire has the following individual objectives (DESIRE, 2009):
 To achieve a technological edge toward attaining key functions and components that are suited for
everyday use
 To create a reference architecture for mobile manipulation
 To promote the convergence of technologies trough integration into a common technology platform
 To conduct pre-competition research and development activities for new products and technology
transfer in start-up enterprises in the field of service robotics.

Some of the expected work to be performed by DESIRE are the following: (1) “Clear up the kitchen
table” – all objects on top of the kitchen table will be moved to where they belong; (2) “Fill the dishwasher” – the
dirty dishes will be sorted correctly into the dishwasher; and (3) “Clear up this room” – all objects that are not in
their proper places will be moved to where they belong (Mock, n.d.).
The earliest conception of robots can be traced around 3000 B.C. from the Egyptians. Their water clocks
used human figurines to strike the hour bells. This mechanical device was built to carry out specific physical
tasks regularly. From that time on, different machines were already been built that displayed the same
mechanism and characteristics as the robots in the present. For example, there was a wooden pigeon that
could fly, a talking doll, steam-powered robots, and hydraulically-operated statues that could speak and
gesture. However, the earliest robots as people know them were created in the early 1950s by George Devol.
“Unimate” was his first invention from the words “ Universal Automation.” Unfortunately, his attempt to sell his
product to the industry did not succeed. After Unimate, several robots were also invented which were better
versions of the previous ones (Stanford, n.d.)

8.7 LESSON 5 ROLES PLAYED BY ROBOTICS

Robots play different roles not only in the lives of the people but also in the society as
a whole. They are primarily used to ease the workload of mankind. They were invented to make life more
efficient and less stressful. On one hand they perform complicated activities which human are beings are
incapable of doing. On the other hand, they perform the simplest tasks at home that their masters can perform
the complex ones without stressing themselves over the simple tasks. There are also robots which are made for
pleasure. To be more specific, these types of robots perform activities to entertain people. They can usually be
found in amusement parks or exhibits. In addition, there are also some robots which were made to serve as
toys. They also perform different activities but they are usually child friendly.
Just like people living in the society, robots also have their own set of rules and characteristics that
define what a good robot is. These laws were formulated by Isaac Asimov back in 1940s. when he was thinking
of the ethical consequences of robots. These are the following (Stanford, n.d.)
Law one: A robot may not injure a human being or through inaction, allow a human being to come
to harm.
Law two: A robot must obey the orders given it by human being except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law.
Law three: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with
the First or Second Law.

8.8 LESSON 6 ETHICAL DILEMMA/S FACED BY ROBOTICS

Just like any other technological advancements, robotics also faces different problems and dilemmas.
Although the idea is to help people and make their lives a lot easier than before, it is still not immune to different
ethical dilemmas and possible undesirable outcome. One of the dilemmas faced by robots is safety. Who
should be held accountable if someone’s safety is compromised by a robot? Who should be blamed, the robot,
the agent using the robot, or the maker/inventor of the robot? It is important to know who should be blamed and
who should be held responsible if such thing happens.
Another ethical dilemma faced by robots is the emotional component. This may seem a little absurd as
of the moment, but looking at how fast technology progresses nowadays, it is not completely impossible for
robots to develop emotions (Evans, 2007)
So here, the questions become, “What if robots become sentient? Should they be granted robot rights?
Should they have their own set of rights to be upheld, respected, and protected by humans?” It is interesting to
know how people would react if the time comes when robots can already feel pain and pleasure. Would they act
differently or not at all?
In the field of robotics, there are so-called partial autonomy and full autonomy. Partial autonomy
includes active human-robot interaction while full autonomy excludes active human-robot interaction. In other
words, a robot with full autonomy can perform actions or activities even without a master telling it what should
be done or what should be performed (IFR, 2012).

Using Asimov’s laws for robots, it can be concluded that robots are ethical but only if they strictly follow
the laws specified. They are ethical mostly because the law formulated by Asimov ensure the safety of not only
the users of the technology but also the people around him. Remember that these service robots are already
available to the public; thus, they can already be found inside the homes. Having said that, the safety of not
only the owner of the technology but all of the people inside the house should be the priority more than anything
else. In other words, the service robots only follow their masters tell them to do with great consideration to the
law formulated by Asimov. However, if the agent using the technology misuses the robot to achieve personal
agendas, then without a doubt, the agent should be held accountable for any consequences it may bring. It is
important to note that this is under the assumption that the robot strictly followed the laws specified without any
form of deviation.

If the problems arise when the robot deviates from the law specified, then the maker or the inventor of
the machine should be blameworthy. It just means that the robot was not programmed very well because it
violated the laws. Other problems may arise when the machine develops the ability to think for itself. In this
case, the one that should be blame can be both be the maker or inventor and the robot itself. This is because in
the first place, the maker gave the robot the capacity to think for itself so he should be very much aware of its
possible consequences. To put it in another way, the maker programmed the robot in such a way that it can
already think for itself even without an active participation from a human being. In addition, since the robot
thinks for itself, whatever decision it makes and whatever consequence it may bring, the robot itself should be
held responsible.
For the second dilemma, it is just right for the robots to be given their own set of rights should they
develop the ability to feel different kinds of emotion. It can be argued that the same thing happened with
animals. Before, animals did not have their own set of rights because people believed that they were not
capable of having emotions. However, after years of testing and experimenting, it was concluded that animals
are indeed capable of emotions. It is for this reason that people decided to give them rights that are due to
them. The same should be done to robots without any reservations. Should that time come, they ought to be
treated differently and they ought to have new laws to follow in order to accommodate the new characteristic
they have developed.