Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Lopez, Quezon Branch

GEED 10083
Science, Technology, and Society

MODULE 2:
General Concepts and Historical Events
in Science, Technology, and Society

LESSON 4:
When Technology and
Humanity Cross

Christopher B. Valencia, LPT, PhD

Professor
LESSON 4
 When Technology and Humanity Cross

LESSON OBJECTIVES

After successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

 Know the different technological advancements in society
 Discuss the development of science and technology in the Philippines
 Discuss the effects of the interplay between technology and humanity through the
dilemma(s) they face

Television Sets, Mobile Phones, Computers, and Humanity

Television, game consoles, mobile phones, computers and the internet are part of
everyday life for children. They are entertaining and exciting, and offer diversion, information
and communication possibilities. Phone and the internet (Skype) allow contact with distant
friends and relatives. However, these devices can also make excessive demands on children
and lead to dependence. A mobile phone is far more than just a telephone. Children also use it
to send and receive text messages, pictures and videos, to listen to music, and to use the game
and internet functions. Computers are used by younger children, especially as play equipment.
Older children work with computers for school and use the internet in many different ways (e.g.,
Facebook, games). New portable devices (such as iPods) make it possible to run games and
other applications outside the house.

Marking the start of the Digital Age, the 21st century signalled the evolution of technology
as tools multiply and innovations advance on a daily basis. New technologies come and go, as
they become easily outdated, as fast as how they hit the market (Beers, 2012). As technology
advances and develops, information becomes easily accessible to users of any age. In many
areas, children now have access to the Internet and all that is available in it, including television
programs. In one way or another, television has traversed into other media forms and
technological channels, making it more and more accessible to different audiences. What used
to be a bulky television unit can now be accessed in the palm of the audience’s hand—on their
way to school or work, while they are sitting on a park bench, and even in the comforts of their
bathrooms. As Campbell et al. (2011) have put it, television is being reinvented and so is its
audience. Despite the rise of other forms of media and the Internet, television continues to play
an increasingly dominant role for children all around the globe. However, the effect of television
on children and the concerns carried over from the motion pictures have troubled parents, as
well as researchers, given television’s omnipresent nature (Pecora, 2007). Even with the
presence of a parent while watching television, proper viewing guidance and harmful media
protection among children are not guaranteed. According to Molina (2008), parents tend to think
that watching television with their children beside them is equivalent to proper viewing
guidance. He further stated that parents have yet to realize that interaction—explaining the
scenes or answering the children’s queries—is rather different from the mere presence of a
parent, sitting beside a child while watching; hence, it needs more highlight in a family
television-viewing experience. Apart from looking into the violent and harmful content of
television programs, Jordan et al. (2006) mentioned that the amount of time children spend in
watching television is an important factor in the cognitive, behavioral, and physical well-being of
children. In relation to this, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that
parents should limit their children’s total media exposure to no more than two hours every day,
with emphasis on exposure only to quality programming, further suggesting the removal of
television sets from children’s bedrooms. According to Republic Act 8370, or the Children’s
Television Act of 1997, children’s programs should be aired during regular time slots when
children are available for viewing, and these programs should be of high quality and made
specifically for children.

Mobile technologies have grown tremendously in the past ten years, in every country of the
world. In the Philippines, consumers were surveyed and stated that over 83% cannot live
without their mobile phone (Ipsos, 2013). In Japan, mobile phone use has grown from 1995 to
2000 skyrocketed from around 5% to 90% of the population and this can be attributed to the
introduction of “i-mode” by Japan’s largest mobile service provider NTT DoCoMo which allows
mobile devices to access the Internet (Akiyoshi & Ono, 2008). Some of the drivers behind the
phenomenal growth of mobile technologies, and specifically mobile phones, can be attributed to
common themes, especially in the Philippines. Those themes are affordability, accessibility,
compatibility, effort or ease of use, experience, perceived playfulness, perceived usefulness,
service quality, safety concerns, social influences and technical support. While each of these
categories offer different motivations, they seem to show up in multiple studies examining the
Internet and mobile technology research (Ipsos, 2013). In addition to the common drivers of
mobile applications usage, there are several applications that specifically drive the success of
mobile applications including, among other items, mobile web surfing, mobile learning, gaming
and entertainment, mobile banking or mobile reservations, not to mention making a phone call
or texting (Wang, Wu, & Wang, 2009).

Roles Played by the Technological Advancements

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets ambitious global goals, demanding
unprecedented actions and efforts across multiple interconnected social, economic and
environmental issues. Science, technology and innovation (STI) must play a central role in the
achievement of these goals. The process of creative destruction initiated by technological
progress can help to transform economies and improve living standards, by increasing
productivity, reducing production costs and prices, and helping to raise real wages. Harnessing
frontier technologies – combined with action to address persistent gaps among developed and
developing countries in access and use of existing technologies, and to develop innovations
(including non-technological and new forms of social innovation) – could be transformative in
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and producing more prosperous, sustainable,
healthy and inclusive societies. They offer the prospect of solutions and opportunities for
sustainable development that are better, cheaper, faster, scalable and easy to use. The extent
of the developmental impact of technological advances has already been seen in the
transformative effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in many low-
income economies, while the potential to increase the environmental sustainability of
development is evident in recent advances in renewable energy. However, new technologies
threaten to outpace the ability of societies and policymakers to adapt to the changes they
create, giving rise to widespread anxiety and ambivalence or hostility to some technological
advances.

The dramatically accelerating pace of development and adoption of new technologies in

recent decades is likely to continue, driven by (a) the cumulative nature of technological
change; (b) the exponential nature of technologies such as microchips, which have doubled in
power every two years for half a century; (c) the convergence of technologies into new
combinations; (d) dramatic reductions in costs; (e) the emergence of digital “platforms of
platforms” – most notably the Internet; and (f) declining entry costs.

Several frontier technologies show the greatest potential to enable the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals. Big data analysis can help to manage or resolve critical global
issues, create new scientific breakthroughs, advance human health and improve decision-
making, by providing real-time streams of information. The Internet of Things allows the
condition and actions of connected objects and machines to be monitored and managed, and
allows more effective monitoring of the natural world, animals and people. These two
technologies have important applications in health care, agriculture, energy and water
management and quality, as well as in monitoring development indicators to assess progress
towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Governments should consider developing
strategies to harness these technologies towards their development goals.

Artificial Intelligence now includes capabilities in image recognition, problem solving and
logical reasoning that sometimes exceed those of humans. Artificial Intelligence, particularly in
combination with robotics, also has the potential to transform production processes and
business, especially in manufacturing. So too does 3D printing, which can allow faster and
cheaper low-volume production of complex products and components, and rapid iterative
prototyping of new manufactured products. In addition to offering some potential carbon savings
by reducing the need to transport components, 3d printing can offer benefits in health care,
construction and education.

Ethical Dilemma Faced by the Technological Advancements

Emerging technologies often raise privacy, ethical, societal and other issues. Project
managers and stakeholders can address such issues using different instruments, especially by
means of different types of impact assessments, such as privacy, ethical, social, technology
and/or surveillance impact assessments. Another useful instrument is a scenario, especially a
scenario that provokes project managers, policy‐ makers and stakeholders into thinking about
the issues raised by the emerging technology and how they might deal with those issues. We
subscribe to the dictum of scenario guru Peter Schwartz who defines scenarios as “a tool for
ordering one's perceptions about alternative future environments in which one's decisions might
be played out… Concretely, they resemble a set of stories.” He emphasised that “scenarios can
help people make better decisions – usually difficult decisions – they would otherwise miss or
deny.”

The question of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ has been troubling human beings for centuries. Almost
every man or woman faces a moral dilemma of determining what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ in
their everyday life. This has resulted in endless debates, arguments and discussions which
show no signs of abating. In recent times, the emergence of an ‘Information Society’, driven by
unprecedented advancements in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), has
added a new dimension to this age-old debate on ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. Like many other
individuals, library and information professionals also are now burdened with this fundamental
question: how would we determine whether what we are doing is right or wrong, ethical or
unethical? Needless to say, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to come up with a definite
answer to this question. Nevertheless, library and information professionals have been looking
for answers to this other questions related to information ethics in myriad ways. Unprecedented
explosion of information in all branches of knowledge and massive proliferation of ICT tools and
techniques have raised fundamental questions about privacy, freedom of expression, right to
information and accessibility, among other issues. This has made it imperative for library and
information professionals to solve the problems related to ethical use of information and find out
ways to serve their clients in a just and ethical manner.
 Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct1. Moral
behaviour warrants us to take the right steps and to the right things under every circumstance.
However, determining what a person should do or not do is not always an easy task. Ethics
examines the rational justification for our moral judgments; it studies what is morally right and
wrong, just or unjust. It leads to a set of rules of conduct for specific situations; basic ethical
principles guide the development of standards for specific professions and groups2. In today’s
world, information plays a critical role in our everyday decision making as well as the progress
and development of the society. Without accurate and timely information, it becomes quite
difficult for us to make choices and plan our actions. Massive proliferation of information in
every sphere of human endeavour is posing unique problems for us: we are not longer
disturbed by the scarcity of information, rather we feel confused by the overabundance of
information. Against this backdrop, just and rational use of information for solving our day-to-
day problems is becoming increasingly challenging. It is argued that, information ethics can
help us solve this problem and guide us in using information in a just way. Information ethics
deals with the moral conduct of information-users based on their responsibility and their
accountability3. It investigates the ethical issues arising from the generation, processing,
preservation, management and use of information.

Robotics and Humanity

Using the term “robot” to refer specifically to androids is actually how the term was first applied.
The commonly accepted first use of the word was in 1920 in the form of a play written by Karel
Capek. The play was entitled R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) and involves the
development of artificial people. These people are referred to as robots and while they are
given
the ability to think, they are designed to be happy as servants. The use of the word “robot” in
Capek's play comes from the Slavic languages‟ word for “work,” which is robota ("R.U.R.
(Rossum's Universal Robots).").

Modern information technologies and the advent of machines powered by artificial

intelligence (AI) have already strongly influenced the world of work in the 21st century.
Computers, algorithms and software simplify everyday tasks, and it is impossible to imagine
how most of our life could be managed without them. However, is it also impossible to imagine
how most process steps could be managed without human force? The information economy
characterised by exponential growth replaces the mass production industry based on economy
of scales. When we transfer the experience of the past to the future, disturbing questions arise:
what will the future world of work look like and how long will it take to get there? Will the future
world of work be a world where humans spend less time earning their livelihood? Alternatively,
are mass unemployment, mass poverty and social distortions also a possible scenario for the
new world, a world where robots, intelligent systems and algorithms play an increasingly central
role?1 What is the future role of a legal framework that is mainly based on a 20th century
industry setting? What is already clear and certain is that new technical developments will have
a fundamental impact on the global labour market within the next few years, not just on
industrial jobs but on the core of human tasks in the service sector that are considered
‘untouchable’. Economic structures, working relationships, job profiles and well-established
working time and remuneration models will undergo major changes. In addition to companies,
employees and societies, education systems and legislators are also facing the task of meeting
the new challenges resulting from constantly advancing technology. Legislators are already
lagging behind and the gap between reality and legal framework is growing. While the
digitalisation of the labour market has a widespread impact on intellectual property, information
technology, product liability, competition and labour and employment laws, this report is meant
to also provide an overview of the fundamental transformation of the labour market, the
organisation of work and the specific consequences for employment relationships. Additionally,
labour and data privacy protection issues are to be considered.

Both blue-collar and white-collar sectors will be affected. The faster the process of the
division of labour and the more single working or process steps can be described in detail, the
sooner employees can be replaced by intelligent algorithms. One third of current jobs requiring
a bachelor’s degree can be performed by machines or intelligent software in the future.
Individual jobs will disappear completely, and new types of jobs will come into being. It must be
noted in this regard, however, that no jobs will be lost abruptly. Instead, a gradual transition will
take place, which has already commenced and differs from industry to industry and from
company to company.

Roles played by Robotics

Robots are programmable devices that automatically perform complicated and often repetitive
tasks. If you heard about a robot that could interact with you and become a helpful aid in your
daily life, would you want to learn more? If so, 2016 is going to be a year to remember, because
the first batches of social robots are shipping right now. What is a social robot? Robots are
already a familiar sight in our factories and warehouses, where they continue to win terrain.
These robots, however, typically operate in highly structured environments and have only
limited interactions with humans. Indeed, their arrival has often led to the replacement of the
human workforce altogether. Now, with an accumulation of innovations in artificial intelligence
(AI), sensors, and battery technology, robots have acquired the ability to enter our domains at
work, home, and in the public sphere. Social robots are autonomous mobile machines that are
designed to interact with us and exhibit social behaviors such as recognizing, following and
assisting their owners and engaging in conversation.

Robot stories have been around for ages. In 1495 Leonardo Da Vinci designed the
Mechanical Knight, a humanoid automation for the battlefield. Some people may perceive
robots as dangerous technological ventures that someday may threaten the existence of the
human race (pretty much the plot of most movies that contain robots), by taking over the world
or turning people into technology dependent beings while robots do all the work. The term
‘robot’ actually comes from a play about mechanical assembly line workers that rebel against
their human masters. Robots entered literature in 1868, in the science fiction novel ‘The Steam
Man of the Prairies’, where a mechanical metal man with a steam boiler inside pulls a carriage.
Robots started to appear in books and movies and have intrigued human beings ever since.

Today robots, and especially the social kind, have traded in the movie studios for our daily
lives. We see a rapid development of social robot concepts that are tailored to professional and
consumer use. It is not unlikely you that you will cross paths with a social robot at an airport
check-in, in a hotel or in an elderly care environment in the near future. The introduction of
social robots in society, work and homes fuels various discussions ranging from the dark side of
artificial intelligence to the future of work and the impact on social interactions. In this article we
introduce a set of drivers for the adoption of social robots.
As with many changes driven by technology, there is no question if but when we will see
the first applications in our daily lives. This raises all kinds of questions, of which one of the
most interesting ones will be whether there will be a recognizable border between humans and
robots. If in fact robots are already integrating with humans as we speak, will robots have rights
and obligations just like we do? Asimov already thought about this topic in his short story
“Runaround” back in 1942. According to his ‘Handbook of Robotics’, robots should abide to
‘The Three Laws’:

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or though interaction, allow a human being to come to
harm
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such order 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 Laws

The movie ‘I, Robot’ has an interesting perspective: fast forward to the year 2035. The
streets are filled with humanoid robots that assist people with their day to day activities, while
humans in need have been given robotic limbs. Yet, before we explore the future, it may be
helpful to review some of today’s statistics. The International Federation of Robotics classifies
robots into two categories: industrial (e.g. car manufacturing) and service. The latter is further
divided into professional (e.g. milking robots) and personal (e.g. vacuum cleaners). Currently,
there are about 1.7 million operational industrial robots globally1 . In total, there are ~30 million
active robots, the majority of which are vacuum cleaners. This means there are ~250 humans
to every robot. The industrial stock is set to grow by 35% over the next two years. In addition,
based on company forecasts, more than 150,000 professional service robots have already
been, and will be, installed in the period 2015-2018. Sales of personal service robots are
estimated to be ~35 million units between 2015 and 2018, with ~1.5 million of them having
social robot characteristics. More than 7,000 Pepper robots, for example, have been bought for
homes across Japan since they went on sale there in June 2015

Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Robotics

The rapid advancements in technology that the world has witnessed over the past century
have made a reality of many of mankind‟s wildest dreams. From being able to cross the earth,
air, and sea at extreme speeds to being able to send and receive information instantly via the
Internet, the technological advancements in recent years have become cornerstones of modern
society. One dream that is still yet to be perfectly fulfilled by advancements in technology is the
development of human-like and self-aware robots, often referred to as androids. While robotic
technology has come a long way since its initial attempts, the robot which is largely
indistinguishable from a human is still far from a reality. However, as technology continues to
develop and evolve exponentially, many people believe it is only a matter of time. If and when
truly "living" robots were to come about, one can foresee a slew of ethical dilemmas developing.
A complete consensus on the definition of the word “robot” has yet to be reached. However, it is
commonly accepted that robots contain some combination of the following attributes: mobility,
intelligent behavior, sense and manipulation of environment (“Robot”). This being the case, the
term “robot” truly extends to more than just androids.

While it remains true that robotics technology is not at a place where ethical codes for
robots are necessary, it is not stopping some countries from being proactive and taking the
beginning steps in the development of a robot code of ethics. South Korea is considered one of
the most high-tech countries in the world and they are leading the way in the development of
such a code. Known officially as the Robot Ethics Charter, it is being drawn up “to prevent
human abuse of robots—and vice versa” (Lovgren). The main focus of the charter is said to be
on the social problems the mass integration of robots into society is bound to create. In
particular it aims to define how people are to properly interact with robots, in Stefan Lovgren‟s
words, “human control over robots and humans becoming addicted to robot interaction”
(Lovgren). Beyond the social problems robots may bring with them, there also is an array of
legal issues, the primary one in the charter being what and how information is collected and
distributed by robots (Lovgren). To many it seems as though South Korea‟s Robot Ethics
Charter is the beginning of a modern-day implementation of Asimov‟s Three Laws of Robotics.