Recalibrating Morality: A Philosophical Analysis of Disability Ethics in the Smart Technology Era

The advancement of smart technologies – from artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, to neuroprosthetics, has greatly impacted human lives, especially for disabled people. These technologies all offer the potential of greater independence, access, and social inclusion (Goodley 2016). For example, assistive devices and robotic prostheses with AI have transformed movement and communication for individuals who experience physical or cognitive limitations (Borenstein and Pearson 2010). Meanwhile, the increasing entwinement of technology in everydaylife also complicates the extent to which such advances truly empower disabled people, or instead maintain ableist values in post- ing normalcy (Shakespeare, 2013).