The fourth industrial revolution is in full swing; technological developments are following one another at an ever-increasing pace. The vast majority of professions will continue to exist, but they are changing drastically. Machines are taking over our work, and to cope with this, you need to acquire new knowledge. At the same time, entirely new jobs and fields of expertise are emerging.
Ten years ago, had you ever heard of data nursing, energy planning or neuromarketing?
In this series, you’ll regularly read about a new profession or course in the Lifeport Arnhem-Nijmegen region.
Data ethicist
With the growing volume of data being collected, stored and used, there is an increasing need for professionals who address the ethical implications of this. This is becoming particularly relevant for larger companies and public authorities.
As legislation often lags behind technological developments and legal scrutiny does not always provide a definitive answer, ethical assessments are becoming increasingly important. This profession brings together big data, philosophy, privacy, legislation and a vision of society.
Adoption and acceptance
Dr Mark Ryan, philosopher and data ethicist at Wageningen University & Research: “The development of digital technology for the agri-food sector (such as AI, robots, the Internet of Things or digital twins) often raises ethical and societal questions. These questions are often only raised late in the innovation process, once the technology has been developed and the product is about to be launched on the market.
But by that point, it is often too late to make any substantial changes to the technology. If end-users identify concerns once the technology is already in place, its adoption and acceptance will be difficult.”
Social and ethical values
“Responsible innovation aims to reflect on social and ethical values at an early stage of the innovation process. To this end, we often draw on ethical resources, such as principles, codes of conduct and rights. However, our primary aim is to encourage innovation developers and socially engaged stakeholders to reflect on what makes their innovation ‘good’. This is what we mean by ‘responsible’ innovation.”
(Source: wur.nl)
