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5. Why Does Ethics by Design Matter for New Technology?

As new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and genetic engineering rapidly develop, their power to shape society is immense. These innovations can revolutionise industries, medicine, and the way we live – but without ethical guidance, they can also lead to unintended consequences. Bias, injustice, and privacy violations are just a few of the risks.  Take AI, for example. If an AI system that predicts crime or evaluates job candidates is biased – because the data it was trained on reflects historical inequalities – it could reinforce or even worsen discrimination. By embedding ethics into the design of these systems, we can make sure they benefit everyone, not just a select few. Ethics is by design is so important because we sometimes cannot afford waiting until the end. First of all, it may then be too late. And moreover, technology is never ethically neutral. It is a mistake to think that one can first develop the technology and then think about ethics. Engineering choices, technical development inevitable incorporates ethical judgments and implications, at the very least why do we want this technology, what our are values in building and using it, etc.