Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies

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The Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) was founded in 2004 by philosopher Nick Bostrom and bioethicist James Hughes. Incorporated in the United States as a non-profit 501c3 organization, the IEET is a think tank that seeks to contribute to understanding of the likely impact of emerging technologies on individuals and societies. It proposes to do so by "promoting and publicizing the work of thinkers who examine the social implications of scientific and technological advance". A number of such thinkers are offered honorary positions as IEET Fellows. The Institute also aims to influence the development of public policies that distribute the benefits and reduce the risks of technological change.[1]

The Institute works with the World Transhumanist Association (WTA), an international non-governmental organization with a similar mission but with an activist rather than academic approach. The WTA was also founded and chaired by Dr. Bostrom, and formerly served by Dr. Hughes as its executive director. However, unlike the WTA, the IEET is not a transhumanist organization. Individuals who have accepted appointments as Fellows with the IEET support the Institute's mission, but they have expressed a wide range of views about emerging technologies and not all identify themselves as transhumanists.[1]

The IEET publishes an on-line, peer reviewed, academic journal entitled, the Journal of Evolution and Technology at the JET Press website. The JET was previously known as the Journal of Transhumanism, but changed its name and focus in order to expand its contributorship to include those who do not self-identify with, and are sympathetic yet critical of, the ideology of the movement.[2]

Contents

[edit] Programs

In 2006, the WTA launched the following programs of activity:[3]

  1. Securing the Future: Identification and advocacy for global solutions to threats to the future of civilization.
  2. Rights of the Person: Campaign to deepen and broaden the concept of human rights.
  3. Longer, Better Lives: Case for longer healthier lives, addressing objections to life extension, challenge ageist and ableist attitudes that discourage the full utilization of health technology.
  4. Envisioning the Future: Collection of images of posthumanity and non-human intelligence, positive, negative and neutral, e.g. in science fiction and popular culture; engagement with cultural critics, artists, writers, and filmmakers in exploring the lessons to be derived from these.

[edit] Fellows

[edit] Dale Carrico

Dale Carrico (born August 24, 1965) is a lecturer in the department of rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, from which he obtained his Ph.D. in 2005. He is also a member of the visiting faculty at the San Francisco Art Institute, and the human rights fellow at the IEET.[4] Carrico is currently adapting his dissertation into a book, Pancryptics: Technological Transformations of the Subject of Privacy.[5] He discusses technocriticism and the cultural politics of disruptive technological change in his personal blog, Amor Mundi.[6] Carrico organized the 13th Annual Boundaries in Question Conference in March 2004, on the topic "New Feminist Perspectives on Biotechnology and Bioethics."[7] He has sometimes been an outspoken critic of the identity politics of "movement transhumanism",[5] and describes his sociopolitical views as techno-progressive or, more concisely, progressive.[5]

[edit] Wrye Sententia

Wrye Sententia is a professor in the technocultural studies program of the University of California, Davis.[8] She is the director of the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics (CCLE), a nonprofit research, policy, and public education center which seeks to advance and protect freedom of thought.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Bailey, Ronald (2006). "The Right to Human Enhancement: And also uplifting animals and the rapture of the nerds". Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  2. ^ Journal for Evolution and Technology.
  3. ^ Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies - Programs and Activities.
  4. ^ San Francisco Art Institute Faculty: Dale Carrico.
  5. ^ a b c Carrico, Dale (2005). "Pancryptics: Technological Transformations of the Subject of Privacy". Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  6. ^ Amor Mundi.
  7. ^ Cascio, Jamais (2003). "New Feminist Perspectives on Biotechnology and Bioethics". Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
  8. ^ Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics: Wrye Sententia.
  9. ^ Smith, Simon (2005). "Cognitive Freedom Fighter". Retrieved on 2007-03-13.

[edit] External links

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