Phoenix 24
When science outpaces regulation and innovation races ahead of public debate, the question is no longer whether humanity can build powerful new tools, but whether it should.
Buenos Aires, October 2025. In a moment defined by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and biotechnology, Argentine philosopher and ethicist Fishel Szlajen has emerged as one of the most influential voices calling for an urgent recalibration of the technological future. His new book, already sparking discussion in academic, political, and industrial circles, argues that innovation without ethics is not progress but peril. The work calls for a fundamental shift in how societies govern emerging technologies, demanding that human dignity, justice, and cultural diversity become guiding principles rather than afterthoughts.
Szlajen’s central thesis is clear: technology is never neutral. Every algorithm, every gene-editing technique, and every neural interface reflects human priorities, power structures, and ethical choices. These choices are often hidden behind narratives of progress or economic competitiveness, but they shape the distribution of power and opportunity in profound ways. According to Szlajen, the dominant paradigm that frames technology as an unstoppable force must be replaced by a framework that subjects innovation to democratic scrutiny and moral evaluation.
One of the most original contributions of the book is the concept of “technological dignity,” a principle that evaluates innovation not merely by its functionality or profitability but by its consequences for human rights, social cohesion, and long-term ecological balance. A tool that increases efficiency while deepening inequality, or a discovery that enhances human capabilities while undermining privacy and autonomy, cannot be considered a success under this framework. Technological dignity requires a more holistic understanding of value, one that includes ethical and social dimensions alongside economic or scientific ones.
Szlajen situates his arguments within a global context where technological power is unevenly distributed. Most countries in the Global South, he observes, remain consumers of technology rather than its architects, importing not only devices and platforms but also the ethical assumptions embedded within them. This dependency extends beyond economics; it shapes how societies conceptualize risk, consent, privacy, and justice. He terms this phenomenon “ethical dependency” and warns that it perpetuates colonial dynamics in digital and biotechnological domains.
To address this imbalance, Szlajen advocates for the creation of regional ethical frameworks that reflect local histories, cultural values, and social realities. In Latin America, this might mean integrating indigenous perspectives on community and environmental stewardship into AI governance. It might also involve reconsidering data ownership, genetic resource management, and intellectual property rights from a collective rather than corporate standpoint. By rooting technology policy in local contexts, societies can resist the imposition of external ethical norms and reclaim agency over their technological futures.
The book does not stop at critique. It offers a roadmap for integrating ethics into every stage of technological development. Szlajen proposes mandatory ethical impact assessments for major AI and biotechnology projects, modeled after environmental reviews. These assessments would examine potential social consequences, identify vulnerable populations, and propose mitigation strategies before deployment. He also argues for the establishment of interdisciplinary ethics boards with decision-making authority, bringing philosophers, sociologists, legal scholars, and civil society representatives into spaces traditionally dominated by engineers and executives.
Education is another pillar of Szlajen’s vision. He calls for ethics to be embedded in the curricula of engineering, computer science, and biomedical programs, ensuring that future innovators are trained to think critically about the societal implications of their work. Technical expertise alone, he argues, is insufficient in a world where technology shapes the very conditions of human existence.
The book also confronts some of the most contentious issues in the technological landscape. It explores the risks of algorithmic bias and discrimination, the ethical boundaries of gene editing, and the psychological impact of human-machine integration. Szlajen discusses the political ramifications of surveillance capitalism, the legal challenges posed by autonomous weapons, and the existential questions raised by synthetic biology. Each topic is treated not as a speculative problem of the future but as a pressing reality that demands immediate attention.
Responses to the book have been strong and varied. Academic institutions across Latin America and Europe are organizing conferences dedicated to its ideas. Policymakers in several countries are examining how Szlajen’s framework might inform national AI strategies or bioethics legislation. Non-governmental organizations focused on digital rights and environmental justice have embraced his language of technological dignity as a rallying point for activism. Even corporate leaders, wary of rising public scrutiny, are beginning to acknowledge the need for ethical oversight beyond mere compliance.
Still, Szlajen is realistic about the challenges ahead. Ethical governance is not a one-time fix but an ongoing process that must evolve alongside technology itself. It requires public engagement, institutional transparency, and international cooperation. It also demands cultural change, as societies must learn to value ethical restraint as much as technical achievement. The temptation to treat ethics as an obstacle to innovation must be replaced by an understanding that ethics is what gives innovation its meaning and legitimacy.
Ultimately, Szlajen’s message is not one of pessimism but of possibility. Technology, he insists, can be a force for liberation and empowerment, but only if it is guided by principles that place humanity above profit and long-term justice above short-term gain. His book is a call to reclaim the narrative of progress from those who would define it narrowly and selfishly. It is a reminder that the future is not something that happens to us; it is something we choose, shape, and are responsible for.
In the coming decades, as artificial intelligence and biotechnology reshape the foundations of society, Szlajen’s ideas may prove to be among the most important contributions to the global conversation about technology and ethics. They offer not only a critique of the present but also a blueprint for a future in which innovation serves the many rather than the few.
Truth is structure, not noise. / La verdad es estructura, no ruido.