In this context, I think there are actually two separate ways in which terminology can inadvertently bias our thinking:
Talk about “future people” may be interpreted as referring to humans or beings with higher cognitive capacities, rather than to sentient beings or beings whose lives can go better or worse. Some alternative terms we could use to reduce bias here are “future sentients”, “future patients”, “future sentient beings” and “future moral patients”.
Talk about “human potential” or “humanity’s potential” may be interpreted as referring to the value humans can potentially experience, rather than to the value humans can potentially create. I’m not sure there are adequate alternatives here. One could perhaps talk about the “potential of human agency”, though that doesn’t sound very natural.
Fair enough.
In this context, I think there are actually two separate ways in which terminology can inadvertently bias our thinking:
Talk about “future people” may be interpreted as referring to humans or beings with higher cognitive capacities, rather than to sentient beings or beings whose lives can go better or worse. Some alternative terms we could use to reduce bias here are “future sentients”, “future patients”, “future sentient beings” and “future moral patients”.
Talk about “human potential” or “humanity’s potential” may be interpreted as referring to the value humans can potentially experience, rather than to the value humans can potentially create. I’m not sure there are adequate alternatives here. One could perhaps talk about the “potential of human agency”, though that doesn’t sound very natural.