11 · Ethics & the future of automation

New technology always brings a big question along with it: not just can we build this, but should we, and how do we do it responsibly? Robots and automation (machines doing work on their own) are no different. As you grow into the people who build these machines, these questions become yours.

A few worth thinking about honestly:

Jobs. Automation changes work. It can remove some jobs (the dull, dirty, dangerous ones) while creating new ones — someone has to design, build, program, and repair the robots. The fair question is: how do we help people whose jobs change, and make sure the new opportunities are open to everyone?
Safety. A robot that moves in the real world can hurt someone if it's poorly built or poorly tested. This is exactly why the engineering design process insists on testing and iterating, and why agencies like the FDA carefully review medical robots before they're used on patients (FDA, n.d.). Building responsibly means testing thoroughly before something can do harm.
Who's responsible? When a machine acts on its own, a person is still accountable for how it was built and used. Notice that even an advanced surgical system stays under "direct human control" (FDA, n.d.) — keeping a human responsible is a design choice, not an accident.
Fairness and access. Robots and the AI inside them learn from data and can serve some people better than others. Good engineers ask early: who benefits, who might be left out, and who could be harmed?

None of these have one easy answer — and that's the point. The best engineers aren't just clever; they're thoughtful. They ask "should we?" alongside "can we?" Organizations exist precisely to help — NASA invests in STEM programs to "engage, inspire, and attract future generations of explorers" and build a skilled, diverse future workforce (NASA, n.d.-c), and IEEE's TryEngineering exists to grow not just technical skill but "critical-thinking, team-building, and problem-solving" (IEEE TryEngineering, n.d.).

The future of robotics isn't only about smarter machines. It's about wise people choosing to build the right things, the right way, for the right reasons — and that future includes you.

Check yourself. Pick one concern from this lesson (jobs, safety, responsibility, or fairness). Explain it in your own words and give one thing an engineer could do to handle it responsibly.

Sources

FDA. (n.d.). Computer-assisted surgical systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/surgery-devices/computer-assisted-surgical-systems NASA. (n.d.-c). NASA STEM opportunities and activities for students. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-stem-opportunities-activities/ IEEE TryEngineering. (n.d.). Engineering STEM lesson plans & activities. https://tryengineering.org/explore-resources/lesson-plans/