Topic 106

ethical considerations involved in deciding when to use models or simulations to ensure human safety by Chaan

In science today, models and simulations are used a lot in order to explain complicated things. The simplest model I can think of is the periodic table used in chemistry. However, even models become complicated once you become a doctor or a physicist. As a doctor, there are many ethical issues that one must think of.

One of the ethical issues is whether to use computer simulations in case of humans. For example, in Duke University an adult mannequin is used as a simulation which is programmed to respond appropriately to the environment and basically it can act like a human being. These mannequins are computer controlled and one of the reasons this is being done is so that doctors can understand human beings better. However, this is where the ethical issue comes in. Can you really and sincerely trust this technology with a human being’s life? Let’s say a very sick patient comes to the hospital and it just so happens that the doctor had programmed the mannequin to have the same sickness this human being has. So the doctor just gives the new patient medicines that he gave the mannequin since the medicines worked on him. Is this really ethical? How can a doctor play with a patient’s life like that?

That scenario is based in a hospital. A lot of people are using computer models today and basing their products on these models. For example, engineers use simulations when testing new cars and then they sell it to the consumers because they are sure that the car is perfect since it worked perfectly on a computer. Is that really ethical? A car vendor just wants to make money so he uses a simulation (just for the sake of it) and makes sure that he can prove to the court (in case somebody sues) that he checked the car’s safety on a computer. I don’t think it is the right thing to give a person’s life into a computer’s hands.

In order to ensure safety, real human beings must be tested instead of a computer simulation. One might argue that real human beings might be affected. Well how about we try someone who’s about to die or has already died? That has more credibility to it than testing the model on a computer!