Humanity has always been innovative, mostly driven by necessities, difficulties, and challenges that the changing circumstances of human life have thrust upon us. Innovations come as responses to emerging health problems, food crises, transportation needs, housing deficits, and communication and security challenges. When these basics are adequately addressed, innovation veers into comfort and entertainment, aiming to increase the ease and pleasures of life. While innovation addresses today’s problems, it also sets the tone and produces the template for the future of humanity.

Ethical innovations are those whose primary objective is to improve the well-being of humanity at the individual, community, national and global level. This implies that there could be unethical innovations that harm, threaten and undermine the future of humanity. Yes, rogue innovations are intended for personal economic, political or social gains. Most people consider the case of genetically modified organisms (GMO) foods to be in this category.

History of innovation

A look at the history of innovations tells the story of humanity’s drive for survival, efficiency, knowledge and progress. The invention of wheels (circa 3500 BCE) revolutionised transportation, industry and machinery. Agricultural innovations (circa 10,000 BCE) allowed for settled civilisation. The invention of the printing press (1440 CE) by Johannes Gutenberg led to mass production of books and acceleration in the dissemination of knowledge. Electricity enabled modern technology from lighting to electronics. Internal combustion engine powered cars, aeroplanes and machinery. Then came telecommunication: telephones, radio and the internet. The mid-20^th and 21^st centuries saw the introduction of computers, space exploration, internet, artificial intelligence and renewable energy – just to mention a few.

In the social and conceptual sphere, democracy, human rights frameworks, scientific methods of enquiry, and economic systems have taken new forms.

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