In today’s world we are surrounded by the myriad applications of artificial intelligence (AI). Though it is capable of some incredible things, it can also be very dangerous without regulation. Leading AI developers have published an open letter warning against the continued development of powerful AI, but will the world heed this warning?
View More Ciao-GPT
In a world of fleeting trends and viral fashion sensations, companies and consumers alike have contributed to massive textile waste that has created irreparable environmental damage. Engineers have been working to combat these issues, but as new and innovative solutions are being developed, the question still remains: how can we balance affordability and ethical consumption in the pursuit of the next big fashion trend?
View More Engineering Alternatives to Fast Fashion
Dr. Erin Cech’s critique of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges focuses heavily on the pitfalls of technological determinism. This paper supports Cech’s argument through a discussion of current examples of the consequences of technological determinism, such as the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements, medication accessibility, and facial recognition technology. Though the consequences of a zealous engineering mentality are commonplace in our society, there are also current examples of tech companies neglecting to develop technology due to its possible negative consequences.
View More Redefining Societal Progress for Engineers
The fourteen Grand Challenges presented by the National Academy of Engineers (NAE) fail to involve ethics as a part of the solution to these issues. Traditionally, engineers have kept their work separate from its societal implications. Engineers and their non-technical counterparts have an obligation to view all technical solutions under the moral lens of ethicists and futurists. Going forward, engineers must be aware of their limits and work with experts outside of their fields to develop solutions that will be cognizant of society as a whole.
View More How the Technical Sciences and the Social Sciences Should Go Hand-in-Hand
The National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges are critiqued by Dr. Erin Cech for what she describes as a double standard in engineering. Though Cech rightly discusses a lack of accountability and acknowledgement within the profession, her argument lacks nuance. The Grand Challenges were ultimately a promotional tool meant to inspire the next generation of engineers, yet Cech holds them to a standard of being professional rules and guidelines. This paper will discuss the distinctions that Cech’s argument lacks, including placing an unreasonable amount of responsibility on engineers and overstating their influence.
View More The Lies We Tell to Inspire: Responding to the Engineering Double Standard
Technological determinism is denounced by Dr. Erin Cech in her critique of the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges report. This discussion focuses on the strengths of Cech’s argument surrounding the engineering double standard in social media, virtual reality, and reverse-engineering the brain. Though she makes many strong arguments, pieces of Cech’s argument fall short. Pointing fingers at the entirety of the engineering community and holding the Grand Challenges to a standard for which they were not intended weaken Cech’s overall discussion. However, her argument is ultimately a valid discussion of a profession that would benefit from wider perspectives in a world full of complex issues.
View More Technological Determinism in the Grand Challenges
The fourteen Grand Challenges were developed by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in an effort to expose future generations to the wide range of innovation and technology that they could one day take part in. As detailed by the Challenges’ creators, the list includes challenges that are most significant to our current world. Dr. Erin Cech’s critique of the Grand Challenges is that a lack of diversity in the panel of engineering experts led to a lack of oversight into issues that are actually pertinent to developing nations. Cech’s argument that the Grand Challenges are a missed opportunity for social justice holds validity, but her mischaracterization of the lack of diversity requires further consideration.
View More The Grand Challenges: Authorial Particularism and a Lost Opportunity for an Equitable Society
Despite advancements in medical technology over the past 30 years, an ethnic and racial disparity still exists in healthcare. In particular, maternal mortality rates show high regional dependencies, and in the United States, Black women are more likely to die from a pregnancy-related complication than white women. Engineering students are working on solutions to combat this problem and provide more support for mothers.
View More The Importance of Inclusivity in Medicine in the Case of Maternal Mortality
In just two days, the 16th largest bank in the United States collapsed. Following the bank’s failure, many tech startup CEOs and financial analysts have more questions than answers. As Washington disagrees over what caused the collapse, several technology startups are left wondering what place, if any, their companies have in the technology landscape of the future.
View More Historic Bank Collapse May Have a Lasting Effect on the Tech Industry
A new publication in Nature reported the development of a near-ambient superconductor, a material without electrical resistance. Traditionally, materials only display superconductivity at low temperatures (-123 °C) or high pressure (>990,000 atm). The introduction of a superconductive material that operates at ambient temperatures and lower pressure could introduce faster and more energy-efficient technologies. However, a lack of rare resources and scrutiny of initial data may prevent this technology from reaching its full potential.
View More Advancements in Superconductors: New Hopes or False Promises?