Ethical, legal and environmental impacts

• Ethics is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with right and wrong.
• The Digital Divide


  Term that refers to the gap between populations that have full access to modern information and communications technology, and those who have restricted access. It is used mainly to describe the split between those with and those without broadband internet access.
• Drones


  In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority is warning that drones being flown as high up as 2,000ft are putting passenger aircraft in danger. Drones can be used to monitor pollution levels and track wildlife poachers. Should their use be controlled?
• Self-driving cars


  The idea of the computer controlling the car raises some ethical questions. How should the computer be programmed to act in the event of an unavoidable accident? Should it minimize the loss of life, even if it means sacrificing the occupants, or should it protect the occupants at all costs?
• Artificial Intelligence


  The possibility of creating thinking machines raises a host of ethical issues relating both to ensuring that such machines do not harm humans and to the moral status of the machines themselves. If something goes wrong who is responsible? Should it be the robot's programmer, designer, manufacturer, human overseer or his superiors?