WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS the very least, they had money.

For this reason,

The United Nations General Assembly “human dignity” does not appear in the US
proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Declaration of Independence or the
Rights (UDHR) on December 10,1948 as the Constitution. The phrase as we understand it
global standard of fundamental human rights today wasn’t recognized until 1948. The United
for universal recognition and protection. The Nations ratified the Universal Declaration of
UHDR begins,” Human Rights.

The original meaning of the word “dignity”

 “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity
established that someone deserved respect
and of the equal and inalienable rights of all
because of their status. In the Universal
members of the human family is the foundation
Declaration of Human Rights, that concept was
of freedom,justice and peace in the
turned on its head. Article 1 states: “All human
world”(UHDR Preamble). As implied, everyone
beings are born free and equal in dignity and
has absolute moral worth by virtue of being
rights.” Suddenly, dignity wasn’t something that
human.
people earned because of their class, race, or
another advantage. It is something all humans
Human dignity is an ultimate core value of our
are born with. Simply by being human, all
existence.
people deserve respect. Human rights naturally
When we fully recognize and appreciate this
spring from that dignity.
truth in ourselves and in
all the persons around us, regardless of their
status in life, then we pave the way for a just We become more rational when we are able to
and progressive society. value and apply the principles of logic and
It is in this kind of society that we are able to science in our lives.
become fully human-more free when we are We become more loving when we ensure that
empowered to make choice for our flourishing. human dignity lies at the foundation of our
endeavors, whether scientific or not.
It entails knowing one’s human fundamental
What is human dignity?
human right that must always be protected in
the face of changing conditions.
At its most basic, the concept of human dignity
is the belief that all people hold a special value
that’s tied solely to their humanity. It has The UHDR explicates the fundamental human
nothing to do with their class, race, gender, rights in 30 articles. It outlines inalienable
religion, abilities, or any other factor other than human rights that are vital and necessary in the
them being human. pursuit of the good life.
 
These are the freedoms everyone is entitled to
The term “dignity” has evolved over the years.
and guaranteed by virtue of being human.
Originally, the Latin, English, and French words
 
for “dignity” did not have anything to do with a
The good life, nevertheless, as a life of justice,
person’s inherent value. It aligned much closer
demands not just equal treatment of human
with someone’s “merit.” If someone was
beings but also preferential treatment to those
“dignified,” it meant they had a high status.
who have less or are disadvantaged
They belonged to royalty or the church, or, at
The first seven articles of the UDHR encapsulate No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
the spirit of this so-called “milestone document inhuman or degrading treatment or
in the history of human rights.” They are as punishment.
follows:
ARTICLE 6
 ARTICLE 1  
  Everyone has the right to recognition
All human beings are born free and equal in everywhere as a person before the law.
dignity and rights. They are endowed with ARTICLE 7
reason and conscience and should act towards  
one another in a spirit of brotherhood All are equal before the law and are entitled
without any discrimination to equal protection
of the law. All are entitled to equal protection
ARTICLE 2
against any discrimination in violation of this
 
Declaration and against any incitement to such
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and
discrimination.
freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
 
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex,
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has a
language, religion,political or other opinion,
long, bloody history. Crafted in 1948, after
national or social origin, property, birth or other
World War II, the UDHR now serves as a
statuses.
common understanding of what each person’s
 
fundamental rights are. These rights apply to
No distinction shall be made on the basis of the
everyone, everywhere. It is imperative that we
political, jurisdictional or International status of
all know and live these rights to prevent
the country or territory to which a person
injustice and oppression.
belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-
self-governing or under any other limitation of
sovereignty HUMANS VS. ROBOTS
The rise of the machines accompanying the
progress in science and technology may render
ARTICLE 3
humans useless.
 
Manual labor is gradually being replaced by
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and
machinery.
security of person.
Computers become more and more
 
sophisticated.
 
Robots, usually designed like human beings, are
ARTICLE 4
created to perform complex, repetitive, or
 
dangerous tasks.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude;
 
slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in
With the development of artificial intelligence
all their forms
(AI), robots may also eventually act and decide
like humans. In the possibility that machines
  adopt the nature of humans, there is a need to
ARTICLE 5 reflect on the ethical problems posed by such
 
development  

Though the Philippines has not yet reached the

point of producing robots on a commercial scale
for household use , it still makes us ponder the
ramifications of replacing persons with
machinery.
 
Much as the BBC News has reported that
experts in South Korea are crafting ethical
guidelines to prevent humans from exploiting
robots and vice versa (Evans, 2007), and that
roboticists in Europe are lobbying for
government legislation, such reality is generally
unheard of in the Philippines.

As of August 2017, it is estimated that a million

Filipino

BPO workers may be affected and lose their jobs

with the adoption of artificial intelligence
( Santos, 2017).

Unemployment is only one of the many ethical

considerations in the widespread use of AI.
What does this mean for human beings who can
be replaced by machines? In the future, when
machines and robots become more human-like,
with all the attendant feelings and thoughts,
people may also have to consider the ethical
treatment for AI.

It is also interesting to note that as machines

and robots approach having a human like
nature, humans may also have the tendency to
become machine-like. Since many of the things
people need, from conveniences to information,
are available with just the touch and swipe of
the fingertips, humans begin to function more
like automatons.