Happy Birthday, Bentham! Shaping an Ethical Future in Modern Technology

To celebrate Jeremy Bentham's birthday, UCL Department of Risk & Disaster Reduction Digital Student Ambassador Sonia writes about his utilitarian principles and how they relate to modern technologies.

February 15th marks the birthday of Jeremy Bentham, the philosopher best known for his principle of utilitarianism – the idea that society should strive for “the greatest happiness for the greatest number.” Bentham is seen as UCL’s ‘intellectual inspration’, and his ideas contributed to the eventual foundation of UCL in 1826.

Though Bentham lived in the 18th and 19th centuries, his ideas remain strikingly relevant, and particularly applicable in the realm of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As STEM fields continue to drive global progress, we must ask: Are we building a future that truly benefits the majority, or one that risks deepening inequality and harm?

Bentham’s perspective of utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy that prioritises actions and policies that create the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. It evaluates right and wrong based on the overall consequences, emphasising pleasure over pain and collective well-being over individual interests. This school of thought offers a powerful ethical framework for evaluating modern scientific advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and digital privacy. While these innovations hold incredible promise, they also pose ethical dilemmas that require us to think critically about their impact on society.

AI and Utilitarianism

The rise of AI and automation presents significant challenges to the human workforce, with studies indicating that up to 30% of current working hours could be automated and accelerated by generative AI by 2030 at midpoint adoption of the technology (Hazan et al., 2024).

The potential for widespread job displacement raises ethical concerns that resonate with Jeremy Bentham's principle of maximising well-being for the greatest number. If AI increases efficiency but leaves large portions of the workforce unemployed, does it still serve "the greatest number"?

Bentham would likely argue that ethical AI development must include robust policies for job retraining and economic transition, ensuring that technological progress does not come at the cost of widespread human suffering.

Biotechnology and Public Good

Another frontier where Bentham's ideas apply is in evaluating the ethical implications of modern biotechnologies – particularly gene editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9 (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2019).

While these technologies hold the promise of eradicating genetic diseases and improving human health, they also raise significant ethical concerns regarding equitable access and the potential for creating so-called "designer babies” – children whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected or modified to include or exclude different traits (2019).

Bentham’s utilitarian perspective would insist that biotech advancements be distributed fairly –prioritising treatments that alleviate suffering rather than those that widen social divides. Policies ensuring affordable access to gene therapies would align with Bentham's principle of maximising collective well-being.

Digital Privacy and Surveillance

In the digital world, Bentham's ideas also challenge us to consider the balance between security and individual freedom. Governments and corporations collect massive amounts of personal data, often under the justification of safety and efficiency. However, unchecked surveillance –like China's social credit system – raises serious concerns about autonomy and consent (Yang, 2022).

Bentham’s utilitarian approach would weigh the benefits of security against the risks of mass surveillance, advocating for transparent policies that maximise societal safety without sacrificing individual rights. From a utilitarian perspective, surveillance should only be justified if it demonstrably increases overall well-being without disproportionately infringing on personal freedoms.

Building a Future for the Greatest Good

Bentham's utilitarianism pushes the assessment of innovation, not just by its technical feasibility, but by its ethical consequences, to the forefront of development. As we develop AI, biotech, and digital systems, we must ask: Who benefits? Who suffers? And are we making choices that genuinely enhance collective well-being? Bentham’s legacy at UCL weaves such questions into the fabric of our institution.

Author: Sonia Khan
Image: UCL Digital Media