Dilemma of the Month

Event is held in English.

Have you ever thought about your future impact on society as an engineer, scientist or in any other role? How about the responsibilities you might carry in the future? The "Dilemma of the Month" is a series of monthly, informal gatherings, which are designed to be an open space for you to explore, share and discuss your opinions and thoughts on a given topic with others. Everyone including non-CS and non-students is welcome to join :)

This month's edition will be on "Standardization vs innovation: can they coexist?". USB-C cables recently replaced the variety of sockets we used to deal with; emails can easily be sent between different providers; bike replacement parts usually fit across brands. But is everything as great as it seems? According to academics, standards can interact with innovation in both positive and negative ways, by providing knowledge, reducing variety, ensuring quality, and achieving compatibility. We will provide you with some input on this topic and give you the opportunity to share and discuss your opinions in an open and safe space.

Here's a sneak peek into possible questions¹ you can tinker with:

• How would you define a "standard"?
• When do standards hinder innovation, and when do they enable it?
• Should companies be forced to adopt standards?
• How come we still don't have a unified protocol for messaging apps?

📅 When: Thursday, 11.12.2025 12:15-13:00²
📍 Where: CAB H52
🥪 Yes, we will provide lunch for you. Yes, it is free :D

¹ Remember, there is no correct answer to questions we ask.
² We will provide an open space for continued discussions after the official event and you are welcome to stay for as long as you want.

Organized with ❤️ by the "Ethics in CS" task force. You can find more information about our initiative here:

• https://vis.ethz.ch/en/politics/ethics-cs/
• https://www.instagram.com/ethics_in_cs/