Computer Ethics

1
Computer Ethics
2
Overview

• To frame our discussion, consider
• What is a framework to consider computer ethics?
• What are possible dimensions within this
  framework?
• What are the issues that an individual or
  professional must contend?

3

• Material adapted from ImpactCS Project,
  Consequences of Computing.

4
Outline

• Levels of Social Analysis
• Topics in Ethical Analysis
• Ethical Framework
• Social Framework

5
Social Analysis

• Individual
• Community and Group
• Organization
• Cultures
• Institutions
• Nations
• Global

6
Individual

• Individuals differ in their approach to
  technology and interests in the use of that
  technology. These differences are based on
  physical and psychological factors. It is
  increasingly important for designers of computer
  interfaces to take into account the needs of the
  users of those systems. Adaptable and flexible
  ergonomic design is important in accommodating
  the diversity of individuals who may use any
  system. Differences in learning and work styles
  also need to be considered.

7
Communities and Groups

• Communication technologies are designed to
  connect people, and are usually designed by
  teams. Communities and groups of people have
  different purposes for their interactions. In
  designing or implementing computer technology,
  the concerns of these groups influence both how
  the design is constituted and how the resulting
  technology is used.

8
Organizations

• There are typically differing points of view on
  the use, regulation, promise, and design of a
  technology in an organization. These differences
  will depend on organizational structure and
  culture, on workplace procedure, on the amount of
  power and areas of interest each group within the
  organization has, and on the position in the
  hierarchy an office or other workplace inhabits.
  Groups within the organization may want the
  system to give them privileges, and there may
  well be disagreement within the organization
  about who should make final decisions about the
  design and use of the system. Designers of a
  computer system must be aware of the power
  conflicts in the organization, and have words and
  categories to describe them. Hence, they may be
  able to design a better system that is more
  widely used and appreciated.

9
Cultures

• Cultural groupings need to be considered by
  computer professionals when designing and
  implementing systems. For instance, in western
  societies there are documentable differences in
  interaction styles between men and women, and
  some suggestion that men and women approach
  human-computer interaction differently. Designers
  need to take these varieties of style into
  account when designing interfaces or systems that
  promote communication between individuals.

10
National and Global

• Social and ethical issues in computing can no
  longer be considered in isolation from the
  national and international scene. Given the large
  scale, global diffusion of technology, and the
  close linkages among various kinds of
  technologies in communication networks, even
  seemingly local decisions about reliability,
  standards, access, privacy, etc. can have global
  implications.

11
Responsibility

• Individual
• Professional

12
Ethical Issues

• Quality of Life
• Use of Power
• Risks and Reliability
• Property Rights
• Privacy
• Equity and Access
• Honesty and Deception

13
Quality of Life

• The question remains is faster, better, more,
  always result in an increase in the quality of
  life for users of technology? We should consider
  carefully the possibility that a technology can
  have some good and some less desirable effects.
  Certainly this "mixed bag of effects" is
  supported by the social research on the effects
  of computing

14
Use of Power

• The knowledge and skill that computer
  professionals possess gives them power. And to
  the extent that new technology is not totally
  constrained by physical or mathematical
  principles, each design decision for that
  technology is an exercise of power. For instance,
  changes in the design of a workstation will
  inevitably change the way a worker does his or
  her job, and thus the decisions made in the
  redesign of the workstation are an exercise in
  power by the designer. The installation of new
  computer systems in an organization can change
  the way information flows and is handled, thus
  changing power distributions in that
  organization. In this way, the computer becomes
  an instrument of power.

15
Risks and Reliability

• Only computer professionals who are aware of the
  complexities of professional responsibility can
  begin to see their way through them. Simplistic
  answers ( e.g. "it was legal") often obscure the
  real issues. Designers of safety critical systems
  will always have to make choices and tradeoffs in
  design and implementation. Some acquaintance with
  the ethical dimensions of these choices and
  practice in identifying and evaluating the
  ethical issues will make for more thoughtful and
  informed design decisions.

16
Property Rights

• Students should be informed of the law in these
  matters, they also need to practice careful
  thought regarding property rights. Computer
  professionals need practice in reasoning about
  property rights in a manner that avoids both
  simple legalism and naive relativism.

17
Privacy

• Privacy expectations will differ among
  individuals, cultures, and nations, and need to
  be taken into account in the design of systems
  that handle personal data. Computing
  professionals know the potential uses and abuses
  of the technology, they need to be ready to
  participate in the public dialogue about privacy.

18
Equity and Access

• Careful consideration needs to be given to the
  extent to which modern technology has divided us
  into those who have access to the power of
  technology and those who do not.

19
Honesty and Deception

• Honest, clear, and comprehensive appraisals of
  the benefits and risks of technology will help
  maintain the respect the public has for the
  profession. Furthermore, computer professionals
  often have responsibilities to employers and
  clients. Hence, there are multiple stakeholders
  depending on reasoned appraisal of technology
  from practitioners.

20
Ethical Principles

• Ethical claims can be discussed rationally.
• Ethical claims must be defended with reasons.
• Ethical choices cannot be avoided.
• Some easy ethical approaches are questionable.

21
Ethical Skills

• Arguing from example, analogy, and
  counter-example.
• Identifying ethical principles and stakeholders
  in concrete situations.
• Identifying and evaluating alternative courses of
  action.
• Applying ethical codes to concrete situations.

22
Social Principles

• The social context influences the design and use
  of technology.
• Power relations are central in all social
  interactions.
• Technology embodies value decisions made by
  designers.
• Populations are always diverse.
• Empirical data is crucial to the design process.

23
Social Skills

• Identifying and interpreting the social context
  of a particular implementation.
• Identifying assumptions and values embedded in a
  particular design.
• Evaluating, by use of empirical data, a
  particular implementation of a technology.