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Ethical Aspects of ICT Implants in the Human Body [Opinion of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies to the European Commission]
The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE)
The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE)
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The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE)
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opi20.pdf
Adobe PDF, 365.18 KB
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Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICT) pervade our lives. Thus far, this pervasive influence has mainly involved devices that we use for private purposes or at the work place such as personal computers, mobile phones, laptops and the like. Due to new developments these devices are becoming more and more part of our bodies, either because we wear them (wearable computing) or because they are implanted in our bodies. At first sight ICT implants are ethically unproblematic if we think for instance about cardiac pacemakers. However, although ICT implants may be used to repair deficient bodily capabilities they can also be misused, particularly if these devices are accessible via digital networks. One might even think of such devices as a threat to human dignity and particularly to the integrity of the human body (see Section 5), while for others such implants might be seen primarily as a means for restoring damaged human capabilities and therefore as a contribution to the promotion of human dignity.
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2005-03-16
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With permission of the license/copyright holder