41 Questions For The Technologies We Use, and That Use Us

Ethics of Tools

L. M. Sacasas challenges the traditional view of technology as a neutral tool, emphasizing how it shapes human perception. He uses the example of a hammer, which can build a home or cause harm, to illustrate that technology influences how we perceive and interact with the world. Sacasas argues that the presence of a tool, like a smartphone camera, alters our experience and interpretation of events, even if we choose not to use it.

People often have heard the expression, to the person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

--- L. M. Sacasas

This perspective suggests that technology is not merely an extension of human intention but actively participates in shaping our ethical landscape 1.

   

Algorithmic Responsibility

Sacasas explores the complexities of responsibility in the age of algorithmic technology, where agency is often distributed and accountability obscured. He highlights how modern systems can act as "machines for the evasion of responsibility," making it difficult to pinpoint who is accountable for technological outcomes. This diffusion of responsibility is evident in discussions around autonomous vehicles and other algorithm-driven processes.

It becomes very easy to say the algorithm made me do it.

--- L. M. Sacasas

Sacasas stresses the importance of locating moral responsibility within these systems to maintain a healthy society, even as technology complicates this task 2.