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Ethical and Social Challenges in Intelligence Enhancement

Innovation for all: how to ensure fair access to new technologies and reconcile progress with ethics

From AI tutors that personalize every lesson to CRISPR therapies that can rewrite fatal genetic errors, the engine of 21st-century innovation is running at full speed. Yet the benefits are unevenly distributed. About 2.6 billion people still lack reliable internet access1, with first CRISPR therapies launching at nearly 2 million USD per patient2. This article reviews the ethical and social challenges of technological progress, aiming for two goals: 1. Promoting inclusive, fair access. 2. Reconciling innovation with strong ethical safeguards. We rely on 2024–25 policy documents, industry pilots, and Global South cases to present a concrete action plan for governments, industry, and civil society.

Contents

  1. 1 Introduction: the tension between equality and innovation
  2. 2 Map of Existing Access Gaps Today
  3. 3 Why Technology Equality Matters to Everyone
  4. 4 Existing Ethics and Governance Systems
  5. 5 Inclusion Promotion Strategies
  6. 6 Balance of Speed and Responsibility
  7. 7 Action Plan: Key Stakeholder Tasks
  8. 8 Myths and FAQs
  9. 9 Conclusion
  10. 10 Sources

1. Introduction: The Tension Between Equality and Innovation

In April 2025, the world rejoiced when the first CRISPR-based sickle cell therapy received FDA approval, but immediately feared its 2.2 million USD price. Weeks later, UNESCO issued a warning: without targeted policy, AI and biotechnology could increase inequality by entrenching "digital elites" and "genomic elites"3. History shows that seat belts, vaccines, and the internet brought the greatest public benefit only after conscious inclusion efforts. The same will apply to future technologies—if we act.

2. Map of Existing Access Gaps Today

2.1 Connectivity and Digital Skills Gaps

  • Connectivity: 33% of households in low-income countries lack even 3G connectivity, compared to 1% in high-income countries4.
  • Skills: The OECD 2025 Digital Economy Report states that only 44% of adults in the lowest income quartile can fill out a simple online form, compared to 83% in the highest quartile5.

2.2 Barriers to Health Technology Pricing

The first gene editing therapies for β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease cost 1.8–2.2 million USD per course6. CMS tries "additional" payments to hospitals to reduce Medicaid patient costs, but only in the USA7.

2.3 Algorithmic Bias and Representation

The IEEE 2024 Neurotechnologies for All review indicated that 78% of neuroimplant trial participants were white men8. The same demographic data also distort medical AI imaging datasets, reducing diagnostic accuracy for darker skin.

2.4 Regional R&D investment disparities

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 14% of the world population but receives less than 1% of AI R&D funding9. Local innovators struggle to commercialize culturally relevant solutions, reinforcing dependence on imported technologies.

3. Why technology equity matters to everyone

  1. Economic multiplier. World Bank models show closing the broadband gap by 2030 could increase global GDP by $2 trillion.
  2. Public health resilience. COVID-19 vaccine rollout showed how inequality prolongs crises; similar gaps in gene therapy could undermine disease eradication potential.
  3. Innovation feedback. More diverse users reveal edge cases; inclusive data strengthens overall system reliability – reflected in EU AI Act risk management sections10.

4. Existing ethics and governance systems

4.1 Human rights-based strategies

  • UNESCO 2023 AI ethics recommendation. Calls for justice, transparency, and “clear actions to address systemic inequalities”11.
  • WHO digital health equity framework (2024). Requires digital tools to be evaluated by “access, use, quality, and outcome” metrics across demographic groups12.

4.2 Regulatory mechanisms

  • EU AI Act (2024). Education and health AI are classified as “high risk” – mandatory thorough bias testing13.
  • IEEE neuroethics guidelines (2024). Recommends stratified participant selection in trials and mandatory accessibility plans for neuroimplant pricing14.

4.3 Funding and access obligations

CMS sawtooth cell stimulation program proposes covering up to 75% of CRISPR therapy costs for hospitals serving Medicaid patients15. Innovative phased pricing or upfront market commitments could expand this model globally.

5. Inclusion promotion strategies

5.1 Infrastructure and connectivity

  • Universal service funds. Brazil's “FUST 2.0” directs 1% of telecommunications revenue to rural fiber – connecting 13,000 schools in 18 months.
  • Low Earth Orbit Satellites. Partnerships (Starlink, OneWeb) reduce high-latency isolation in Pacific islands; UNESCO reports 18% e-learning growth in Tuvalu.16

5.2 Affordable Pricing and IP Models

  • Tiered Pricing. The success of generic ARVs (HIV) shows drug prices can drop 99% with voluntary licensing; similar schemes are proposed for gene therapies17.
  • Patent Pools. WHO's COVID-19 Tech Access Pool sets a precedent for pooling patent rights in critical situations.

5.3 Inclusive R&D and Governance

  • Participatory Design. In Uganda, community involvement halved dropout rates in a pilot of an AI chatbot for maternal health.
  • More Diverse Datasets. NIH's "All of Us" program targets 1 million diverse genomes; early data releases increased polygenic risk score accuracy by 20% for individuals of African descent.

5.4 Capacity Building and Local Innovation

Programs like Google's AI for the Global South Fellowship support local cloud credits and mentorship. After two cohorts, 38 startups attracted additional funding, 60% addressing local health issues.

6. Balance of Speed and Responsibility

6.1 Innovation-Precaution Leverage, Not a Switch

Binary "ban or promote" debate decisions hinder progress. Adaptive regulation – regulatory sandboxes with expiration dates – allows innovators to experiment while regulators collect safety data.

6.2 Ethics from Design Start and Continuous Auditing

  • Algorithmic Audits. The EU AI Act requires bias testing; open-source audit systems (AEQUITAS, Fairlearn) can help implement these checks.
  • Neurotechnology Safety Boards. IEEE proposes establishing IRB-type boards with ethics experts and patient representatives to evaluate neuroimplant research18.

6.3 Transparency and Explainability

UNESCO calls for marking "origin watermarks" so citizens know when content is AI-generated19. Explainable AI panels, developed with teachers, increased student confidence in AI assessment by 30% in 2024 pilots.

6.4 Global Coordination

No single country can control cross-border CRISPR tourism or AI model exports. WHO, UNESCO, and OECD have established the Joint Observatory on Equality of Emerging Technologies (JOETE) to coordinate data and best practices. The first results – a template for equality impact assessments.

7. Action plan: key stakeholders' tasks

7.1 For governments

  1. Mandate equality impact assessments for all publicly funded technology projects.
  2. Create Technology Equality Bonds to finance infrastructure and subsidize expensive therapies.
  3. Negotiate tiered drug pricing before approving new gene therapies.
  4. Implement open data requirements for AI developed with public funds, ensuring privacy.

7.2 For industry and investors

  • Adapt first access pricing commitments similar to the Gates-supported Global Access Licence.
  • Publish annual equality and ethics reports alongside ESG declarations.
  • Include user representatives in product development stages.

7.3 For the academic community and standards organizations

  • Include equality indicators (e.g., demographic outcome analysis) in conference publication lists.
  • Expand open educational programs and low-bandwidth formats to reduce educational inequality.
  • Update curricula to reflect Global South ethics perspectives.

7.4 For civil society and communities

  • Require algorithmic transparency in public sector implementations.
  • Create community data stewards who monitor local data used in AI models.
  • Choose citizen juries and participatory budgeting when deciding on technology infrastructure.

8. Myths and FAQs

  1. "Equality slows down innovation."
    Research shows that inclusive R&D teams file 21% more patents, and early prevention of ethical risks reduces costly recall risks.
  2. "When a breakthrough happens, prices naturally fall."
    Without policy interventions, monoclonal antibodies remained >50,000 USD per year for decades—fair pricing requires targeted action20.
  3. "Bias is solved by more data."
    Quantity without representative diversity can only increase minority underrepresentation errors21.
  4. "The digital divide will close by itself."
    ITU data shows the gap grew from 2020–2024, as wealthy regions moved to 5G while poor ones remained on 2G22.
  5. "Gene therapies will get cheaper like smartphones."
    Biologic drug manufacturing scales much less; without gradual pricing or subsidies, prices will remain unaffordable.

9. Conclusion

Technological wonders—from treating genetic diseases to AI teachers on every phone—are already within reach. But unmanaged wonders can only increase injustice. Fair access is not charity—it is a strategic investment in global stability, economic prosperity, and a sustainable innovation chain. Balancing speed and responsibility means ethics at every stage—research, deployment, and revenue models. Acting now—funding infrastructure, anticipating inclusive design, and creating global governance—can ensure the new wave of innovation lifts all boats, not just yachts.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, or financial advice. For policy or investment strategies, consult the appropriate experts.

10. Sources

  1. ITU "State of Broadband" report 2024
  2. CRISPR therapy pricing analysis, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 2024
  3. UNESCO AI ethics recommendation 2024
  4. ITU "State of Broadband" report 2024
  5. OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2025
  6. CRISPR therapy pricing analysis, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 2024
  7. CMS gene therapy "add-on" payment proposal (Axios, May 2024)
  8. IEEE "Neurotechnology for All" diversity report 2024
  9. UNESCO diversity and regional funding study 2025
  10. EU AI Act legislative summary 2024
  11. UNESCO AI ethics recommendation 2024
  12. WHO Digital Health Equity Framework 2024
  13. EU AI Act legislative summary 2024
  14. IEEE "Neurotechnology for All" diversity report 2024
  15. CMS gene therapy "add-on" payment proposal (Axios, May 2024)
  16. UNESCO LEO satellites Tuvalu report 2025
  17. CRISPR therapy pricing analysis, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 2024
  18. IEEE "Neurotechnology for All" diversity report 2024
  19. UNESCO AI ethics recommendation 2024
  20. CRISPR therapy pricing analysis, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 2024
  21. UNESCO diversity and regional funding study 2025
  22. ITU "State of Broadband" report 2024

 

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