Technological developments and their application in society raise different ethical questions. To be able to answer these questions properly, Eindhoven is going to collaborate with an ethics committee.
Ethics committee
Such a committee is already active at the Brainport Smart District Foundation (BSD). This foundation is busy constructing the innovative district of Brandevoort, between Eindhoven and Helmond.
The ethics committee which consists of professors from various universities, will also advise the Eindhoven city council. They will work on the basis of the values that the city considers important. Those values are: autonomy, people-oriented, privacy, safety, control, justice and sustainability, the municipality reports.
Doing the right thing
“Ethics, doing the right thing, is an increasingly important factor in a highly innovative and rapidly digitising world,” says Stijn Steenbakkers, alderman for Brainport. “So, It’s not just about what is possible and what is feasible, but also about what we ‘should want’. An external ethics committee that gives solicited and unsolicited advice is a great help here.”
Sharing the benefits
At BSD, they are pleased that Eindhoven wants to be advised by the foundation’s ethics committee. “The aim is for as many parties as possible to learn from the developments and challenges in BSD. The region should benefit from the experiences gained in our living lab,” says BSD chairperson Cathalijne Dortmans. “Cooperation on issues for which we want to use the Ethics Commission will contribute to this.”
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
