Download Computers, Ethics, and Social Values

Computers, Ethics,
and Social Values
What is Computer Ethics?
Introduction
• Definition of computer ethics
• Rationale for studying computer ethics
– Technology is entrenched in our society,
ethical questions arise regarding the uses of
this new technology
– Are these ethical issues pertaining to
computer professionals new or are these the
same issues in a different guise?
James Moor
• Professionals face new ethical questions
because the use of computer technology
• "vacuum of rules or policies" leaves these
computer professions with no guidance
• Advocates a coherent conceptual
framework within which to formulate a
policy for computer ethics
• Unique
Computer Revolution
• Introduction stage
-Computers have been refined
• Permeation stage
-Computers are an integral part of life
-Practical importance for computer ethics
Invisibility factor
• Invisible abuse
-Invisible operations of the computer are used
for unethical conduct
• Invisible programming values
-Programmer values are put into the program
which may include a programmer's bias
• Invisible complex calculation
-Computers can perform a tremendous number
of calculations
John Barlow
"Coming into the County"
• Cyberspace - a vast continent with no end
to its dimensions
• Need for "new social contracts for the
digital domain"
• Concern for: privacy issues, freedom of
expression, economic opportunity, and
property rights, cultural implications of the
technology
Donald Gotterbarn
Responsibility Regained
• Little progress due to no "coherent
concept of the subject"
• Computer ethics should focus on the
actions that lie within the "control of
individual moral computer professionals"
• Not Unique
• Computer ethics as rules and judgments
professionals make within specific
contexts
• Ethical rules and judgments are "applied in
a computer context based on professional
standards and a concern for the user of
the computing product”
• Two spheres:
- ethical problems that can be reasoned by
"analogy with other traditional ethical
problems"
- ethics for computing professionals
• Welfare of the user - service industry
• No organization to control membership or
sanction violations
Terry Winograd
• “Integrate computer technology and
human values in such a way that the
technology advances and protects those
values rather than doing damage to them“
• Intention plays a large role in how an
action is interpreted
• Must consider context when assessing an
ethical issue
• "domain in which an action is assessed is
not necessarily the same as the domain in
which the actor interprets it"
• Three components in "doing" ethics
-identifying social/ethical issues
-entering into serious discourse about the
possibilities
-taking actions.
Ethics in Society
• Society
– An association of people organized under a
system of rules designed to advance the good
of its members over time
– Morality: Rules of conduct describing what
people ought and ought not to do
– Ethics: Philosophical study of morality, a
rational examination into people’s moral
belief’s and behavior
Robert Collins and
Keith W. Miller
• Paramedic Method - Procedure for
analyzing a particular ethical situation
• Professional must determine an ethical
course of action from three different
perspectives:
– a deontological approach
– a social contract
– and utilitarian approach
• Ethical decision leading to the "most
opportunity and least vulnerability for most
parties"
• Social Contracts - negotiation and
consensus as tools
• Deontological is concerned with rights and
obligations. Giving someone rights creates
obligations.
• Utilitarian is thinking of the "greater good
of society."
• Four-step process with similarities to the
Waterfall Method of software design
1.
2.
3.
4.
Gathering Data
Analyzing Data
Negotiating an Agreement
Judging Data
Case Study
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•
•
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The past several months, George, an electrical engineer working for an aerospace
contractor, has been the quality control manager on a project to develop a
computerized control system for a new military aircraft. Early simulations of the
software for the control system showed that, under certain conditions, instabilities
would arise that would cause the plane to crash. The software was subsequently
patched to eliminate the specific problems uncovered by the tests. After the repairs
were made, the system passed all of the required simulation tests.
George is convinced, however, that those problems were symptomatic of a
fundamental design flaw that could only be eliminated by an extensive redesign of the
system. Yet, when he brought his concern to his superiors, they assured him that the
problems had been resolved, as shown by the tests. Anyway, to reevaluate and
possibly redesign the system would introduce delays that would cause the company
to miss the delivery date specified in the contract, and that would be very costly.
Now, there's a great deal of pressure on George to sign off on the system and allow it
to be flight tested. It has even been hinted that, if he persists in delaying release of
the system, the responsibility will be taken away from him and given to someone who
is more compliant. . . .
What makes the situation so difficult for George is that he must choose between
conflicting duties: loyalty to self, family, employer, and superiors versus the obligation
to tell the truth and to protect others from harm. . .
Obligation Relations
ACM
"Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct."
1) General Moral Imperatives addresses ethical issues of honesty,
individual contribution to the well being of society, nondiscrimination, property rights, intellectual property, privacy, and
confidentiality.
2) Specific Professional Responsibilities addresses issues of
effectiveness of process and products, maintaining professional
competence, respecting existing laws, accepting professional
review, comprehensive evaluations of computer systems to assess
impacts and risks, honoring contracts, improving understanding of
computing, accessing computer communication only when
authorized. While the first six items in this section can be applied
generally to other professions, the last two items address computing
specifically. 2.7 Improve public understanding of computing and its
consequences. 2.8 Access computing and communication
resources only when authorized to do so.
• 3) Organizational Leadership addresses encouraging members to
accept full social responsibility, design and build systems that
enhance working lives, thorough assessment of user needs when
analyzing and designing systems, protecting the dignity of users,
promote the learning of principles and limitations of computing. This
section is extremely important because it places some obligations
on management to create an environment where a computer
professional can be ethical. Without these management
responsibilities the preceding two sections could become impossible
to obtain.
• 4) Compliance with the Code contains 2 items. The first item
directs members to be supportive of others. The second item
indicates that gross misconduct is grounds for dismissal. It also
makes a major point: "Adherence of professionals to a code of
ethics is largely a voluntary matter."