Ethics in Tech Forum defines the line between moral and immoral usage of biotechnology

Katie Reed

Attendees Anish Jain (10), Daniel Lin (10) and Arjun Moogimane (10) watch videos presented at the roundtable discussion. Topics covered genetically engineering children, cloning plants, and the science behind DNA editing.

by Katie Reed, TALON Reporter

Nine students attended the roundtable discussion hosted by Ethics in Tech Forum regarding the handling of biotechnology in upper school English teacher Charles Shuttleworth’s room during lunch on Jan. 27. 

Throughout the conversation, club officers encouraged attendees to define specific instances of biotechnology usage as socially acceptable or not. From cloning in animals and plants to genetic engineering in infants, the club explored a variety of unique technologies and posed questions to one another regarding the consequences of normalizing such innovations.

Ethics in Tech Forum Vice President of Logistics Kabir Ramzan (10) commented upon the significance of the roundtable and reviewing such technological knowledge with peers, emphasizing the importance of listening to various speakers and developing a global point of view.

“The important thing to know is we need to be able to think about these ethical decisions and what impacts they have on society,” Kabir said. “We need to know who gets access to these new technologies and how that affects the way they are used.”