Ethical and Professional Issues: Reading Responses

According to the readings, a patent is a set of exclusive rights given to an inventor for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of their invention. Patents are granted to applicants who have invented something new, useful, and non-obvious. A patent does not give the right to make or sell an invention, but rather gives the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling for the term of the patents, usually twenty years. Patents are intended to prevent others from copying an invention or the wat in which that invention is created. By disclosing all of the details behind an invention, patents promote individuals to try to find more efficient and less costly ways of manufacturing products. They also encourage innovation by granting the inventor with the sole right to manufacture and sell their invention. If someone knows that they and anything they might create is protected, they will be more willing and motivated to innovate. While patents do prov...

The idea of having self-driving cars has always fascinated me. I remember growing up and seeing them in science fiction shows and movies and have always wondered if having them was actually possible. Now that some companies are testing them in real world scenarios, I think it is important to take a step back and address the ethics behind using this type of technology in our everyday lives. In some cases, it seems like humanity as a whole thinks, “if we can do it, let’s do it,” and doesn’t stop and think about potential consequences of adopting new technologies. I think that using fully autonomous cars is a good example of this phenomenon.   Companies have good reasons for implementing this technology into their cars. For example, the Tesla article All Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware states, “Self-driving vehicles will play a crucial role in improving transportation safety and accelerating the world’s transition to a sustainable future. Full autonom...

The debate over the role in society that automation plays is becoming more and more relevant as technologies continue to become more advanced and put non-skilled laborers at risk of losing their jobs. The initial loss of unemployment from the installation of a new automated system can have a negative impact on more than just the wallets of those directly affected as seen in the article “A World Without Work.” The article states that following the shift of steel production from Youngstown, Ohio to abroad, “Youngstown was transformed not only by an economic disruption but also by a psychological and cultural breakdown. Depression, spousal abuse, and suicide all became much more prevalent; the caseload of the area’s mental-health center tripled within a decade.” This impact must be considered when weighing the pros and cons of potentially displacing many workers from their jobs. Although the initial, short term impact of automation replacing jobs is, in some cases, extremely severe, as...