Carbon Versus Silicon: Professional Ethics

The revolutions in biotechnology (CRISPR and genetic editing) and information technology (artificial intelligence) call into question nothing less than what it means to be human and the place of humans in the natural world. Rapid acceleration on the technological frontier makes it less likely that democratic regulation will be up to the task of installing sensible guardrails so that these revolutions support rather than subvert human interests and democratic stability. As a result, we must look to professional norms within bioengineering and computer science to help steer us. Are these up to the task?