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Technology as excuse for questionable ethics

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Abstract

By endowing technology with the attributes of autonomous agency, human beings are ethically sidelined. Individuals are relieved of responsibility. The suggestion of being in the grip of irresistible forces provides an excuse for rejecting responsibility for oneself and others, thus creating conditions for inappropriate or antisocial behavior. It also impedes the search for solutions to pressing social problems associated with applications of technology. Failure to assign and accept responsibility for decisions to deploy “conventional” technology will inevitably impede our ability to deal with the social and ethical challenges of robotics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, The City College of New York, Convent Avenue at 138th Street, New York, NY, 10031, USA

    Abbe Mowshowitz

  2. PhD Program in Computer Science, The City University of New York Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Abbe Mowshowitz

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  1. Abbe Mowshowitz
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Correspondence to Abbe Mowshowitz.

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Mowshowitz, A. Technology as excuse for questionable ethics. AI & Soc 22, 271–282 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0147-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-007-0147-9

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