From neuromorphic sensors to a chip under skin. Morality and ethics in the world of the internet of things
| Published date | 17 May 2013 |
| Pages | 72-80 |
| Date | 17 May 2013 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-12-2012-0023 |
| Author | Emma Palese |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
From neuromorphic sensors
to a chip under skin
Morality and ethics in the world
of the internet of things
Emma Palese
Universita
`del Salento, Lecce, Italy
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the sense of choice in our contemporary world.
Design/methodology/approach – Taking cue from the research of the Institute of
Neuroinformatics of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and University of Zu
¨rich, this paper is
meant to highlight that the contemporary individual is gradually abandoning his own freedom of
choice: the principle of moral responsibility, and – consequently – sign of humanity.
Findings – If today the smartphone is the most used tool, in the future we will soon benefit from
a chip under skin which could delegate our choices. It is a piece of technology that is not only inspired
by biology to create robots, but could also change our life.
Originality/value – From the massive use of the cell phone to the robots which apparently ‘‘feel’’
and show emotions like humans do. From the wearable exoskeleton to the prototype reproducing the
artificial sense of touch, technological progress explodes to the extent of embodying itself in our
nakedness.
Keywords Artificial life,Ethics, Moral responsibility,Philosophy, Social responsibility,Internet
Paper type Research paper
1. Starting from the neuromorphic engineering
The neuromorphic approach to artificial sensors is a prime example of how technology,
which is aimed at the manipulation of the human body, is inspired by biology in order to
grow and develop. In fact, these particular systems attempt to reproduce the natural
behaviour of animals through similar electronic circuits. By the end of the 1980s
Carter Mead uses the term neuromorphic to indicate those electronic circuits able to
imitate the nervous system of the animal world and – thus – able to create artificial
sensory systems (Mead, 1989, pp. 12-26). This type of technology had its first
applications mainly in robotics, where – emulating nature – robots start to be
“intelligent” as being able of taking behaviours increasingly similar to human ones.
Today, these systems give us the opportunity to create real artificial organs modelled
following the natural structures. For example, the Institute of Neuroinformatic s at
Zurich University and the Polytechnic of Zurich are engaged – with par ticular
attention – to the artificial reproduction of eyesight . In their laboratories a real
comparative study takes place on animal and artificial elements. On the one hand,
nature, on the other hand, the scientist, who reproduces the biological functioning of the
animal world to create artificial organs learning from nature (Dhoble et al., 2012, p. 3).
This is the case of the neuromorphic visual sensors which, mainly inspired by the
sight of insects and their ability to avoid obstacles in the flight – constitute the artificial
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1477-996X.htm
Received 23 December 2012
Revised 24 January 2013
28 March 2013
6 April 2013
Accepted 9 April 2013
Journal of Information,
Communication and Ethics in Society
Vol. 11 No. 2, 2013
pp. 72-80
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/JICES-12-2012-0023
JICES
11,2
72
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