◎ Science and Technology Daily reporter Cui Shuang

"There were only seven articles on gene editing in 2012 and 2750 in 2018, with more than 36,000 authors, distributed in 92 countries and subordinate to more than 3,600 universities and research institutions. Their questionnaire found that 40% were found People have never heard of more than 60 gene editing declarations. Less than 20% of people have truly studied those consensus terms. This is our current situation. "On the evening of November 8, the second World Science and Technology and Development The forum held a high-end dialogue on the topic of "Science and Science and Culture". Xue Lan, Dean of the Su Shimin Academy of Tsinghua University, shared a study on the spot.

High-end dialogue scene of "Technology Ethics and Science Culture"

He further said that among the global scientists participating in the survey, 30% agreed to "suspend gene editing research", and more than 50% opposed it. "Scientific and technological workers are divided within them, which shows that practitioners have not conducted ethical issues in gene editing. Think deeply.”

President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations

In addition to gene editing, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, autonomous driving... Today, with the rapid iteration of modern technology and continuous innovation in social applications, technology and industrial innovation are closely combined, which has caused a series of ethical problems while promoting social development, and impacting the Traditional ethical concepts of human beings. As President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations Gong Ke said, "The challenge is near."

Ethical controversies such as gene editing and artificial intelligence are the most concerned

According to relevant surveys organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, among the most concerned issues in the field of scientific and technological ethics, genetic technology ranks first, with robots, human enhancement, artificial intelligence, etc. being the first.

As a reproductive medicine scientist, Academician Qiao Jie, director of Peking University Third Hospital, is on the "front line" of technical and ethical conflicts. She said that the starting point of building an ethical knowledge system is medical ethics, "We must pay attention to the impact of new technologies on human physiological psychology, dignity of rights and interests, and moral laws. Science and technology promotes social progress, and ethics is the guarantee of society."

She took her field as an example. Assisted reproduction brings good news to infertile patients, but in the diagnostic screening of preimplantation genetics, genetic discrimination, possible screening and even baby customization are worth pondering, as well as genetics. The ethical and legal risks of learning parents and sociology parents need to be discussed in depth. The newly won the Nobel Prize gene editing technology is a "severely affected area" of ethical problems. "Molecular scissors are cheap and efficient, but what to cut with it is? Without strict ethical review, the consequences are unpredictable." Qiao Jay said.

The picture shows Qiao Jie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Third Hospital of Peking University.

"Scientists must make a judgment on what kind of ethical rules we need to formulate to deal with human embryos. Such regulations are very important for medical progress." Academic Director and Senior Researcher of the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Innovation Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician Pu Muming said, "Like the brain-computer interface, it can interpret activities in the brain, change people's behavior patterns and even control people. For example, new drugs are developed, drugs no longer just help humans cure diseases, but may also improve people's cognitive abilities and enhance them. Human body functions. Will this product be commercialized to allow people who take medication to pass the exam faster? Will this lead to further social differentiation?”

In the field of artificial intelligence, ethical issues are also accompanied. Microsoft's chief scientist Erica Hovetz gave examples: the credibility, security, fairness and transparency of AI systems, the deep bias and discrimination buried in data, and the automatic decision-making of the system.

Xue Lan, Dean of the Shu Shimin Academy of Tsinghua University

In Xue Lan's view, the ethical challenges brought about by the development of emerging technologies are mainly concentrated on uncontrollable risks such as the impact of gene editing on human bodies and offspring; risks of infringement such as data privacy and protection; risks of liability such as autonomous driving accidents and Social risks. “It’s all an ethical problem that must be thought about and find solutions.”

Cross-border cross-field cross-circle cooperation governance is required

"Since World War II, especially in recent years, the number of people engaged in scientific research and technology development activities has increased dramatically. Different countries, different cultures and religions have come from different economic development stages, and the traditional scientific and technological ethical governance mechanism has failed." Xue Lan admitted frankly.

Gong Ke also said that taking data use as an example, some countries emphasize data protection, while others emphasize open sharing, believing that there is no need for protection without data, "everyone has their own needs."

Can the requirements be reconciled? Is there any possibility for human beings to seek technological consensus and establish a global science and technology ethics governance system?

"Last year, the World Engineering Organization Federation formulated the Principles for the Responsible Application of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in the Engineering Field, comparing the relevant practices of major enterprises in various countries around the world. The results showed great similarities, and in the most basic principles, Everyone has the same understanding.” Gong Ke said. Pu Muming also said that from the history of development of cloning technology and atomic bomb technology, the path to establishing global ethical codes of conduct is possible.

In the view of Paul Vibeck, convener of the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Ethics Committee and professor at the University of Tervent in the Netherlands, it is most important to determine a common ethical governance framework because “the impact of technology is not limited to a certain country, it is Global. And good ethical rules apply to all technologies and countries, and need to understand each other and develop together”. He said that although there is technological competition from a global perspective, by establishing an effective communication platform, reaching a consensus on basic values, and developing predictive and evaluation tools for technological impact, technology can be guided and regulated.

Paul Vibeck, convener of the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Ethics Committee and professor at the University of Tervent, Netherlands

"The current investment in science and technology is much greater than that in ethical research." Qiao Jie said bluntly, "Ethical issues are very complex, and we must enrich the manpower of scientific research ethical research." In addition, we must strengthen the training of ethical and legal knowledge for scientific researchers and students. Increase the share of scientific and technological ethics.

Dialogue and cooperation appear in the speeches of each interlocutor. Xue Lan said that in order to achieve global governance of scientific and technological ethics, in-depth research and dialogue are the primary priority. Countries, enterprises, social organizations, and scientist groups with different interests, cultural backgrounds, and development stages must participate in the research of global governance mechanisms. Everyone should do so. Communication candidly or even "communicate fire". Among them, Gong Ke particularly emphasized the role of the scientific community, "The scientific community must not only be ahead in technological innovation, but also be ahead in ethics."

The construction of science and technology ethics is a concern for many countries and regions with developed science and technology in the world. In July last year, the "Plan for the Establishment of the National Science and Technology Ethics Committee" was reviewed and approved. my country's science and technology ethics construction was fully launched, and the construction of science and technology ethics review and risk assessment system was accelerated.

Shen Xiangyang, former executive vice president of Microsoft and foreign academician of the American Academy of Engineering

"Global science and technology ethics governance is our compulsory course. We need to discuss and communicate more in science and technology ethics and reach a consensus." Shen Xiangyang, former executive vice president of Microsoft and a foreign academician of the American Academy of Engineering, said, "This is the common responsibility of mankind. .”