Technology academy looks at the ethics of innovation

Acatech wants researchers to evaluate the ethical aspects of their inventions

Researchers not only have responsibilities towards their employers and employees, they must also work towards the common good and help to protect the environment, according to a position paper by Acatech, the German academy of technical sciences.

Those who develop new technologies have a duty to consider how they will be used. But due to the increasing complexity of the innovation process, it is often unclear exactly who is responsible for what, the paper said.