Ethically Aligned Design is part of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems. There is a lot in this volume for all engineers including civil engineers to think about.
There is a section on Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (A/IS) for Sustainable Development. Here, the authors discuss how with the right alignment, A/IS could contribute to achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. There is section on A/IS to advance well being and the need for metrics to measure well being.
How does this relate to civil engineering and sustainable infrastructure? First, digital infrastructure is an increasingly important part of infrastructure systems and infrastructure planning; see e.g. Planning Sustainable Cities. Second, a strong case can be made that infrastructure is key to human well being and achieving the SDGs; see for example Governing the UN Sustainable Development Goals: interactions, infrastructure, and institutions and finally, there is increasing recognition that sustainable infrastructure contributes to all of the SDGs; see e.g. UNOPS and UNEP.
Civil engineers are key to ensuring that infrastructure is done right; see the ASCE Five-Year Roadmap to Sustainable Development. ------------------------------
William Kelly Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE
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Silver Spring MD
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