Introducing ETHIA: Navigating the Intersection of Emerging Technologies

The pace of technological advancement over the past few decades has been nothing short of incredible. And now, innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI, neurotechnology, Web3, metaverse, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies are poised to transform how we live and work. However, as these technologies continue to interact, evolve and converge, they present complex decisions on the potential for maximising positive benefit, minimising harms and preserving trust.

ETHIA is an alliance that aims to navigate the intersect and union of these technologies, understand the risks and opportunities involved, and develop a coordinated approach to address them as a group, rather than stand-alone technologies. ETHIA recognises that though well-intentioned, discrete initiatives addressing the potential risks for individual technologies will fail to fully capture the impact of emerging technologies used in self-reinforcing combinations.

ETHIA seeks to address the potential for these technologies to amplify one another's risks and benefits. For example, LLMs and AI offer great benefits to society, but could be used to create highly responsive, hyper-personalised deepfake videos or other misleading information. Neurotechnology and AI could be used to help with healthcare but also to develop new forms of surveillance and control, potentially violating people's privacy and autonomy. And the Metaverse could create new opportunities for immersive experiences, but when combined with blockchain, AI and neurotechnology also raises concerns about equity, manipulation, addiction and potential disconnection from reality.

To navigate these risks and harms, ETHIA is committed to a multi-disciplinary approach that draws on expertise from diverse fields. The organisation aims to foster collaboration between academics, industry experts, policymakers, and civil society to ensure that emerging technologies are developed and deployed in a way that is socially responsible, ethical, and equitable.

ETHIA is also committed to promoting public awareness and engagement about these emerging technologies and how they interoperate to produce quite profound impacts. By raising awareness about the vital decisions associated with emerging technologies, ETHIA hopes to encourage more people to participate in discussions about their development and use. This includes working with journalists, educators, and advocacy groups to ensure that the public has access to accurate and balanced information about emerging technologies.

At ETHIA we seek to play a leading role in shaping the future of emerging technologies. By developing a coordinated approach to understanding the risks and harms involved, we aim to help ensure that these technologies are used in a way that benefits society as a whole, rather than creating new forms of inequality, exploitation, or harm.

We look forward to engaging with stakeholders from around the world as we embark on this important journey. Get in touch if you'd like to be involved.

https://ethia.tech