> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-notes.gitbook.io/kyles-cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-gitbook/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-notes.gitbook.io/kyles-cybersecurity-cloud-and-it-gitbook/wgu-network-engineering-and-security/ethics-in-technology/computing-and-technology-ethics-engaging-through-science-fiction-textbook/chapter-4-personhood-and-privacy/4.3-personhood-and-technology.md).

# 4.3 PERSONHOOD AND TECHNOLOGY

Let's distill this into something both accessible and useful, focusing on key themes and applications in the cybersecurity field.

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#### Personhood and Technology: Cybersecurity Edition

**Personhood** is tricky, especially with the influence of **technology**. We're used to defining personhood based on being human, memory, or narratives about our lives. But tech changes that. Let's break it down through four lenses:

1. **Technology & Human Identity**: Technology blurs the line of what it means to be human. AI that feels *real*, or robots like Sophia getting citizenship, challenges how we define a "person." Are advanced AI entities deserving of rights? If so, this impacts how cybersecurity systems handle AI-related responsibilities.
2. **Technology & Responsibility**: When AI acts for us, like telling Alexa to do something illegal, where does responsibility lie? Tech like AI assistants adds complexity to accountability. Should they be like another household member, making decisions? In cybersecurity, deciding *who* or *what* is responsible is crucial for both ethical use and regulations.
3. **Technology & Memory**: Relying on tech to remember stuff for us—like cloud storage, Google, or even wearable tech—changes our relationship with our memories and identity. Cybersecurity's role becomes safeguarding not only data but also protecting the narrative identity that’s crafted around those memories.
4. **Technology & Narrative Identity**: Online personas, avatars, and social media let people reinvent themselves. Whether using avatars in gaming or creating an anonymous online persona, technology enables us to present different versions of ourselves. This has privacy implications—cybersecurity professionals must consider how to protect both real and online identities and the repercussions if these personas get misused.

#### Key Cybersecurity Connections

* **AI and Responsibility**: With AI becoming more human-like, understanding personhood affects accountability. Can an AI have agency? If AI makes a bad decision, like accessing private data, who is at fault? This shapes cybersecurity policy on AI development and deployment.
* **Memory Outsourcing**: Devices that store our info (like health trackers or cloud memories) make privacy protection crucial. Cybersecurity experts have to keep these memories safe—not just from attackers but from misuse by tech companies.
* **Narrative Identity Online**: Pseudonymous or anonymous online interactions allow users to have multiple identities, but they also create challenges around data privacy and security. Protecting someone’s digital identity, while respecting anonymity, is a key balance in cybersecurity.

Tech's impact on **personhood** shifts how we see rights, responsibility, and identity—core elements for the ethical practice of cybersecurity.

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**References**\
Burton, E., Goldsmith, J., Mattei, N., Siler, C., & Swiatek, S.-J. (2023). *Computing and Technology Ethics: Engaging Through Science Fiction*. The MIT Press.