In the past four decades, technology has altered human lives right from contributing in the fields of health, education, food, entertainment and defense. The notion of 'emerging' technology does not necessarily mean that all the advances are new or revolutionary, but are transiting to a new phase and becoming widely incorporated in consumer goods. These technologies, however, have been a subject of controversy and raised the debate on ethics and safety. The challenge is identifying realistic solutions and guidance by those who intersect the technological and ethical worlds to determine the greatest societal benefits.
Autonomous systems, artificial intelligence AI and robotics that are age old technologies would continue to expand their functionalities and enter a new era of specializations. More accuracy is also expected in the operation of the drones by helping the unmanned aerial vehicles avoid collisions with other drones and piloted aircraft. This will encourage the operation of a large number of drones, a development to be anticipated, as the growth of dangerous drone flights appears to be developing ahead of regulations.
The interest in smart machines has encouraged the use of smart materials used for manufacturing. These materials could adapt, change properties, interact and respond to their environments. With the 4D printing, which takes into account the transformation that occur over time, some materials can repair and adapt by themselves or can be preprogrammed to disintegrate on their own. This again would raise new questions of standardization, trace ability and copyright. Some other technological disruptions include assembling of bio materials which evolves on its own and the designing of cancer fighting robots releasing antibodies. As we are gaining advanced tools for fighting life threatening diseases a range of other issues also arise. Therefore the ethical consequences of such innovations should be taken into considerations.
Some technologies progress independently of political support, but good governance, examining dual risks and ethical considerations should remain the guiding posts at all times.