The good, the bad and the ugly of innovation

Quiz: Good, Bad or Ugly?

This is a quiz to see if you know the difference between good, bad and ugly innovations. For each scenario select what type it is.

Your organisation tries for a bold, radical, innovation that aims to do good.

Good Bad Ugly

Statistically, most attempts fail to have any impact, for those that do succeed the innovation will probably do good. If it is widely adopted then it might also have an ugly side, depending on the steps you took to prevent this.

Aeroplanes

Good Bad Ugly

Considered good overall, but they have a bad use in warfare. What about their environmental impact (ugly?).

Nuclear [fission] power stations

Good Bad Ugly

The original aim was for it to do good: "cheap, clean, energy". In the UK it is far from cheap; and leaks, meltdowns, [bad] terrorist attack, and the long-term nuclear waste presents a small probability of an ugly outcome. Perhaps there is no obvious correct answer here.

Perhaps there is no obvious correct answer here.

X-ray scanners

Good Bad Ugly

X-ray scanners have been very beneficial in the diagnosis of medical conditions, and security at airports.

Cars

Good Bad Ugly

Overall they are considered good, but the tens of thousands of deaths each year [UK] because of traffic accidents and air pollution mean they have a significant ugly side too.

Genetic modification of humans

Good Bad Ugly

This can be used for good: to prevent and cure many diseases. The military could use this for "super-soldiers" with physical strength, stamina, and a killer instinct. If things go wrong in the DNA germ line then generations might suffer: the genie might not go back in the bottle. Perhaps there is no obvious correct answer here.

All are possibilities.

Genetically modified crops

Good Bad Ugly

All are possible.

All are possible: The key aim [good] is to provide crops that grow well in any conditions and resist pests and diseases. The bad aspect is poor farmers might get locked into buying seeds and chemicals from just one company - a monopoly. Things might go ugly if a GMO turns out to cause disease and the genie cannot be put back in the bottle.

Robots

Good Bad Ugly

Unknown: Robots may be used for good and bad [warfare] intentions; and if they have an AI mind of their own then that might, or might not, turn out ugly. Time will tell what their overall rating will be. We have to make an effort now to sway them towards good outcomes.

Note: Some of those questions had no correct answer. Do not worry, there is no score for this exercise. It is just part of the learning process...

By now you should have learnt that there is not always a definite answer - things are not always black and white. With radical innovations it can be difficult to predict what the outcomes may be. An innovation may be good for some people, but for others it may be bad and/or ugly.

With innovation you should always anticipate the risk, and try to prevent and manage that risk.

Contents

Home

Please enter your note below and press the Enter key. (If you are entering a "to do" note then the calendar might be useful.)