When Technology and Humanity

Cross

Credit Image Source: Qualcomm.com

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 also attached to the word
"technology" which is the more popular sense of the concept nowadays. 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 whether he
wills it or not. 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 simplest
task at home to the most complicated ones inside the office or laboratory. Technology these days
enjoys such fame 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. This is because of the different leisure activities that technology can offer to people. For
example, it allows people to listen to good music wherever they are. Another is, it allows them to
communicate with their loved ones anywhere in the world; but most of all, it allows them to surf
and play games anytime, anywhere. 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 all, for there are people who would even argue that technology has become a necessity
and no longer a want. At present, people work very hard in order to save money to buy these
"necessities" while in the past, people only used their money for the things that would help them
survive like food, housing, and clothing. In effect, anything outside these categories was
considered a luxury. However, that is no longer the case at present.
In general, technology keeps on progressing due to not only the changing times and
environment but also to 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 criticisms 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 these 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 problems they face will also be examined thoroughly.

Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
1. know 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.

Duration: 3 hours

Lesson Proper
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. Having said
that, it can also be easily inferred that these technological devices are some of the most popular
and most commonly used types of devices across all age groups. Almost all households, if not
all, own these types 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 to accomplish 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, 20 1 4) . 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
1800s 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
some time, 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 by
using the cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical scanner system. This success story gave
rise to two types of television systems, namely, mechanical and electronic television (Jezek,
n.d.). These experiments inspired other scientists to improve the previous inventions, which led
to the modem television people now have. However, it is important to remember that several
scientists and several experiments were performed first before finally achieving the modem
television at present.
Second, Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere, anytime. They use 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 Filipinos 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). Philippine
streets are full of people using their mobile phones. Not only this, but there are also some
Filipinos who even own more than one mobile phone. 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 the 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
cap 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 DynaTAC
8000X (Goodwin, 2016). Lastly, computers and laptops have also become part of many of the
Filipino households. There are some Filipino families who own more than one computer or
laptop while some own at least one computer or laptop. However, the number of computers or
laptops sold per year may not be as 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 or 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 a 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 also have a long back phones, computers and laptops
g ground history of trial and error. It was Charles Babbage, a nineteenth-century English
Mathematics designed the Analytical Engine which w professor, who used as the basic
framework of the computers even until the present time. In general, computers can certainly
period of time and each gave people roved a new and imp 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 their 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 computer 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 1 (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 (Rappler,
n.d.):
o Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.
o Filipinos spend approximately 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop daily.
o Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest digital populations in the world.
o There are now 47 million active Facebook accounts in the Philippines.
 o The Philippines is the fastest-growing application market in Southeast Asia.

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 platform 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 used technological devices up until today. However, it
is important to note that these are just some of the roles played by television. Aside from the
ones mentioned above, it also serves as a recreational activity and good stress reliever to most
families, specifically to Filipino families. Television also is a good platform for different
propagandas and advocacies. Lastly, it can also be a good way to bond with one's family
members.
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 technology
progressed, there have been many additional features included on mobile phones. For example,
in the present, people use their mobile phones to surf the Internet and to take pictures more than
to text or to call people. This is the reason why more and more people all over the world prefer to
buy smartphones over the old models where such features are not available. Other applications
include music player, calendar, radio, television, and photo editor, among others. These are just
some of the additional features of mobiles phones in the present. These 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 any space, may it be inside the pocket or bag.
Personal computers and laptops also have useful set of functions and roles. Although
most of the functions found in these technological devices are now also available in mobile
phones, they still offer their own unique features that make them attractive. For example,
personal computers and laptops can be used to surf the Internet and communicate. Just like the
mobile phones, these devices also have features like calendar, calculator, music player, movie
player, camera, and many more. However, for a lot of people, they prefer to do their job using
either a personal computer or a laptop than a mobile phone. One reason is that a personal
computer or a laptop has wide keyboard than using a mobile phone, especially when the mobile
phone has a small screen. Contrary to mobile phones, personal computers and laptops have wide
screens and separate keyboards, although some mobile phones can now be connected to a
keyboard. Another reason is that the availability of a mouse or a touchpad made these two
technological devices easier to maneuver than mobile phones. Lastly, for the youth and those
who love to play different computer games, personal computers or laptops are really the better
choice because these allow them to play with comfort and convenience. However, it cannot be
denied that some would even prefer laptops over personal computers for the simple reason that
personal computers are not portable and there are times when they need to bring such devices to
different places.

Ethical Dilemma Faced by These Technological Advancements

 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 of the fact that
people who are fixated on these technological advancements start and end their day by using
such devices. They have a great tendency to sit and chill all day long without doing anything
productive in their homes, thus making them unhealthy because they do not just skip meals
sometimes but also lack exercise or any bodily movements. Here, 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 shows 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 stay on their laptops,
computers, or mobile phones for more than half a day. These people have the tendency to be
unaware of the time-because they are so engrossed with the use of technological device. In fact,
if they get disturbed, there is a great chance that they will get mad or annoyed. Moreover, these
are the same people who are more likely to experience alienation because they no longer take
time to get out of their houses and mingle with other people.
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, mobiles 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, or hear
things which are not suitable for their very 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. Not only this, but it
also 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 or
personally. In fact, there are people who are friends, for example, only on social media but not in
real life. This just shows that there are things that technology claims to do but 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 that can no longer be addressed by using these
theories only. This is why the ethics of responsibility is an appropriate theory that can be used in
these dilemmas.
The word "responsibility" in the sense of being accountable for and accountable to is 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
actions and define one's contribution to the scientific-technological event. The ethics of
responsibility focuses on the positive rather than the negative. Instead of asking "What ought not
to be allowed?" ask "What ought to be allowed?" To put it in another way, people who are part
of the scientific development ought to let the public know the good in their respective
technological contribution/s. In this way, the people will have an idea how the devices ought to
be used in order to maximize their positive results. 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 be sufficiently aware of what to do and what not 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 brought
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, brings more bad 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 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 adults who allowed the children to have access to such devices in the
first place without any supervision. It is the recklessness and overconfidence of the adults that
cause the character change in children.

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 the 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 Robotics (IFR) and United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) made it their task to formulate a working definition for service robots. A
preliminary extract of the relevant definition is (IFR, 2012):
o A robot is an actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree of
autonomy, moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks. Autonomy in this context
means the ability to perform intended tasks based on current state and sensing without human
intervention.
o A service robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding
industrial automation application.
Note: A robot may be classified according to its intended application as an industrial
robot or a service robot.
o A personal service robot or a service robot for personal use is a service robot used for a
noncommercial task, usually by laypersons. Examples are domestic servant robot, automated
wheelchair, personal mobility assist robot, and pet exercising robot. o 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, fire-fighting robot, 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 a 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):
o To achieve a technological edge toward attaining key functions and components that
are suited for everyday use
o To create a reference architecture for mobile manipulation o To promote the
convergence of technologies through integration into a common technology platform o 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 a specific physical task regularly. From that time on, different machines were
already 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 or the previous ones (Stanford, n.d.). Ever since, people never stopped their quest
in the field of robotics.

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 beings are incapable of
doing. On the other hand, they perform the simplest tasks at home so 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. Other examples of robots are those which can be seen in
movies. One of the reasons why robots are very famous is because of movies. A number of local
and national movies were inspired by robots. This goes to show that people have developed a
distinct fascination over robots.
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 the 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 beings 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.

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 outcomes. 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 came when robots can
already feel pain and pleasure. Would they act differently or not at all?
In the field of robotics, there are the 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 next (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 laws 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
also all the people inside the house should be the priority' more than anything else. In other
words, the service robots only follow what their masters tell them to do with great consideration
to the laws 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 laws 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 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.