Technically Moral

I understand that two things we should never talk about in the business realm are Politics and Religion. I think that this topic deserves thought and needs to be examined by our business leaders today. In our hands we have the ability to do good things and inspire a new generation to use technology for the good of mankind.

Our world today has seen many changes, some good and some not so good. Many of us are led to believe that we live in a time that the things we are experiencing we had never seen before. I agree somewhat with that thought, but only as it relates to technology platforms and information storage. So far at least, we have not seen technology take on the greatness of being human. The greatness I am talking about is a person’s belief, emotions, abstract thoughts and desire. All things we cannot and should not change through the use of technological advancements. The next three paragraphs try to explore an understanding of moral drivers from religion, to politics and technology.

 Religion has played a role in society and people’s lives from the start. So let’s step back in time a bit. We can look historically at how religion has shaped the societies of the world. For thousands and thousands of years and up to present day we have had many societies directed by a moral compass based on people’s values and faith. Of course societies historically faced challenges when people interceded in religion and used it as a way to assert coercion and powers for gain. When we look at the pure form of religion, we can see that a God given spirituality of right and wrong, the principle of which religion has used to guide the natural order of life has always been the intended aspiration by true believers of almost all faiths.

 Bring in Politics. History also shows us that we have had societies ruled by politics and people whereby the beliefs of humans ruled and that the moral compass was dictated by an assertive individual or a populist opinion. These assertions and opinions can be seen today in the form of political correctness. At this level, the human moral compass needle is moved more on the basis of group philosophy and public perception and less on spiritual guidance. People are corralled to act in ways that would appeal to the ongoing perception. This is not new. If we look at the Romans back in the day, you had to pretty much toe the line of Caesar or you lost your status, were imprisoned or worse. Same story played out for the loyal party members of the USSR. We could fill many books just listing all the historical examples.

 Now data and today’s technology comes into focus. If we look at data collection today we would have to pause and think. Could it be that the data collected and viewed through the increased use of technology actually drive a moral compass? Can technology force people to act different?

 The answer is yes, yes and yes. Technology and the data it delivers can never be a moral compass in the same way that a values lead moral compass leads a person to act from the inside. Technology and data can be used to change the way we think or act in a way that can only be described as being “technically moral.” Technically moral means that people no longer make decisions on what is right or wrong based on values. People will make decisions on right or wrong based on technologies ability to track their wrong behavior. In the late 1990’s a study in the UK was done using telematics in trucks to monitor the behaviors of the drivers. The drivers decreased the risk of accidents and losses by 30% when they knew that their every move was being watched. Of course, now we see companies like Progressive, State Farm, Allstate and many others implement the same technologies to collect data on how their insureds drive. Is it really the data that makes them a better risk, or is it the fact that they are watched that make them a better risk?

 In Florida recently, a women was charged with a hit and run accident because her car turned her in. No, the car was not programmed with a moral compass, just a GPS. As it turns out the car was responding to the collision it detected. The car automatically called 911 reporting the accident and the location. The lady drove off not knowing what her car had done. She was located and later arrested for hit and run. There are many more stories of how technologies and data collection through cell towers and street cameras is aiding in the capturing of criminals and even acting as deterrents in thefts and vandalism.

 The more technology evolves over time, the more human behavior can be changed. The biggest question at hand is this. Should society evolve into a technology driven moral society and replace our values? Can technology and our values work hand in hand?

 As for me, I believe faith teaches us that God sees all we do, so why worry about what technology may see?