The convergence of the physical, mental and virtual

This editorial introduces a special issue of Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology, centring on the convergence of the physical, mental and virtual. The idea of publishing a special issue on this matter came about at a conference, ICT that makes the difference, organised by the consortium of a FP7-funded project, ICTethics. In particular, we wanted to foreground some of the material presented and debated in sessions on the role of assistive robotics, the use of RFIDs and other implants for brain/body-device interactions, and issues surrounding ‘medical access to the brain’. The special issue takes as its point of departure the gap that exists between the visionary work and experimentation undertaken by scientists, and the results of theoretical and practical reflection on issues of ethical, legal and social relevance. One of the objectives of the ICTethics project is to investigate how ELSA studies can be operationally embedded in the early stages of ICT design and development, as well as in agenda setting for S&T research. But to what extent do scientists, policy-makers, ELSA scholars and other stakeholders network and communicate to bring about improved conditions for good governance and professional accountability? The special issue brings together cutting-edge experimenters, philosophers and ELSA scholars, as both authors and commentators, to explore some of the latest developments that manifest convergence of the physical, mental and virtual, and relate them specifically to issues of selfhood, identity and responsibility, empathy, medical ethics, social robustness and accountability. In doing this, we hope to set an example of how radically different disciplines can communicate and complement each other’s work

A future of living machines? International trends and prospects in biomimetic and biohybrid systems

Research in the fields of biomimetic and biohybrid systems is developing at an accelerating rate. Biomimetics can be understood as the development of new technologies using principles abstracted from the study of biological systems, however, biomimetics can also be viewed from an alternate perspective as an important methodology for improving our understanding of the world we live in and of ourselves as biological organisms. A biohybrid entity comprises at least one artificial (engineered) component combined with a biological one. With technologies such as microscale mobile computing, prosthetics and implants, humankind is moving towards a more biohybrid future in which biomimetics helps us to engineer biocompatible technologies. This paper reviews recent progress in the development of biomimetic and biohybrid systems focusing particularly on technologies that emulate living organisms—living machines. Based on our recent bibliographic analysis [1] we examine how biomimetics is already creating life-like robots and identify some key unresolved challenges that constitute bottlenecks for the field. Drawing on our recent research in biomimetic mammalian robots, including humanoids, we review the future prospects for such machines and consider some of their likely impacts on society, including the existential risk of creating artifacts with significant autonomy that could come to match or exceed humankind in intelligence. We conclude that living machines are more likely to be a benefit than a threat but that we should also ensure that progress in biomimetics and biohybrid systems is made with broad societal consent. © (2014) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Regulating nanoparticles: A complex balancing act

Regulation is a key part of product commercialisation, where different stakeholders must continually negotiate what are often conflicting regulatory drivers. High technology regulation is particularly problematic as is found in nanotechnology, and nanoparticle products, where there is much misunderstanding about what these products are and how they work. Nanotechnology is the application of small products, ranging between one hundred million and one billion times smaller than a metre, considered as the next 'industrial revolution'. At the vanguard of nanotechnology products, nanoparticles are examined in this study, where rapid technological advances are creating much debate within the discipline of law for how to best regulate the nuanced physicality of these products. Extant arguments have focused on how to regulate the R&D, production, sale, consumption and end-of-life of these products, with varying considerations of physicality which is pivotal to this endeavour. Critically, and fundamental to any discussion about regulating nanotechnology is whether these products sit inside of current regulations, or whether they require new regulatory approaches to more adequately capture their physicality. Confusingly, there has often been an erroneous presupposition that nanotechnology will function as a direct mirror of larger products, which is often not the case. On this basis, this study engages with the physicality of nanoparticles to build a foundation of knowledge, asking pivotal questions about regulation, to better inform academic and industrial regulatory discourses. Attention is given to regulatory frameworks including the Precautionary Principle, Regulation, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of CHemicals (REACH), and potential for nanotechnology registries for monitoring nanoparticle physicality. Importantly, for any collection of highly nuanced novel physical products as found within nanotechnology, there can be no 'one-size-fits-all' with in depth examinations being made with different specific sectors to draw out the major challenges related to the physicality of this wide ranging collection of products

Le tecnologie convergenti. Aspetti etici e bioetici.

Il presente lavoro ha come oggetto le tecnologie convergenti (TC) prese in esame principalmente sotto il loro profilo bioetico. L’analisi svolta è stata strutturata in tre diverse fasi – corrispondenti ai tre capitoli del documento – ognuna caratterizzata dal tentativo di rispondere a una domanda specifica. I quesiti a cui si è cercato di rispondere sono, in forma sintetica, i seguenti: (capitolo 1) Cosa sono le tecnologie convergenti e da quale background storico-scientifico sono emerse?; (cap. 2) Qual è il contesto culturale che ha forgiato il progetto e le finalità delle TC?; (cap. 3) Esiste un’alternativa alla cultura del potenziamento e alle idee postumaniste per poter dare un differente indirizzo teleologico al progetto delle tecnologie convergenti? Nel tentativo di rispondere a tali domande, nel primo capitolo verranno ripercorsi i luoghi d’origine delle tecnologie convergenti, passando necessariamente attraverso gli sviluppi delle nanoscienze e della nanotecnologia avvenuti negli anni Ottanta e Novanta del secolo scorso, in particolare in ambito statunitense. Una volta acquisite tali informazioni, nel secondo capitolo le TC verranno prese in esame a partire dal contesto culturale in cui sono emerse e dalle matrici filosofiche che sono sottese alle finalità che il progetto della Convergenza incarna. Dopo questo lungo processo d’indagine a tuttotondo, nel terzo capitolo viene avviato un doppio tentativo di restituire un’immagine delle TC privata degli aspetti promozionali ed eccessivamente avveniristici e, successivamente, di avanzare una proposta per rivedere le convinzioni antropologiche e teleologiche che hanno animato le converging technologies fin dalla loro nascita. In breve, il quesito che ha animato il presente lavoro può essere riassunto nei seguenti termini: in che modo è possibile gestire le potenzialità del progresso della tecnica riuscendo, allo stesso tempo, a tutelare l’attenzione verso la cura del senso pieno dell’esperienza della vita umana? A tale domanda si è cercato di rispondere (cap. 3), dopo un’ampia e necessaria analisi del fenomeno delle tecnologie convergenti (capp. 1 e 2). La proposta finale, che prende il nome di bioresponsabilità, è un invito a riflettere su binari diversi rispetto alla cultura del potenziamento e ai principi del movimento transumanista, nella direzione di una maggiore valorizzazione del senso dell’umano attraverso la nozione pratica dell’achievement