Recipe for Disaster: Engineering without Ethics

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Recipe for Disaster Engineering without Ethics
Dr. C. Dianne Martin Professor, Computer
Science The George Washington University diannem_at_s
eas.gwu.edu
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Welcome to the Moral High Ground!
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Why Ethics in Computer Science?
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The Cherynobyl Lesson

• This was no accident!
• Modern disaster lesson
• Highly intelligent engineers and scientists
• Advanced technologies
• Unethical decisions

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Ethics Defined

• Study of human morality
• Determining values in human conduct
• Deciding the right thing to do - based upon a
  set of norms
• In Engineering
• dealing with colleagues
• dealing with clients
• dealing with employees
• dealing with users
• dealing with public

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Why Focus on Ethics?

• Raise awareness - ethics radar
• Make decisions make the right choice
• Take action do the right thing
• Personal integrity and self-respect
• 1 element of professional reputation
• HIGH ETHICS -gt HIGH PROFITS

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Analysis of an Ethical Quandry

• 1. Who are the stakeholders?
• 2. What are the KEY statements (clues) in the
  problem?
• 3. What are the legal considerations?
• 4. What are the possible actions to be taken?
  (generate options)
• 5. Is there a clearly right action to be
  taken? (evaluate options)

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3 Ethical Whats

• What? situation
• So What? impact
• Now What? reaction

Awareness Analysis Action
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The Ford Pinto Case
During crash tests which proceeded the
introduction of the Pinto to the public, it
became evident that there was a serious design
flaw. The gas tank was so designed that when it
was involved in a rear end collision at an impact
speed of 20 MPH or greater, the tank was apt to
rupture, causing a fire and explosion. The tank
was only 5 forward of the rear sheet metal of
the body and only 3 from the back rear axle. In
most rear-end crashes, the axle housing deformed
the tank and sharp bolts punctured the tank.
Following crash tests, the conclusion was that
the rear end structure was not satisfactory.
Suggested changes would have cost about 11 per
car. A confidential company memo directed that
the safety features not be adopted at that time
until required by law. ECONOMICS
OR ETHICS ???
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Engineering as an Ethical Profession

• What is a Profession?
• special expertise
• shared moral values
• dependent public
• self-regulation
• promote and protect right actions
• The responsibility to be ethical
• The right to be ethical
• Values embedded in technology

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How to evaluate a code of ethics.

• Will the code of ethics enable an employee to
  make the right decisions when situations arise?
  
• Will it provide a positive source of public
  evaluation, enhance reputation, and build public
  trust?
• Will it enable new employees to be effectively
  socialized into the professional culture, know
  whats expected?
• Is it specific enough to deter unethical behavior
  and provide support to the employee who wants to
  do the right thing?
• Can it be used to provide legal protection to
  employees during litigation?

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So Why Bother With Ethics??

• Special knowledge
• Involved in decision-making
• Engineering pervades society

BOTTOM LINE Practicing engineers are more apt
to get into trouble as a result of a failure to
properly anticipate and handle ethical problems
rather than as a result of a traditional
engineering problems!
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Results of the Ethics Equation
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR

• Shoddy products
• Waste, fraud, greed
• Abuse of expertise
• Guilt, fear
• Lack of safety
• Cutting corners
• poor design
• rushed testing
• DISASTERS!

• Quality products
• Conservation of resources
• Pride in work
• Public safety
• Timeliness
• GOOD BUSINESS

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Ethics will be THE issue of the 21st Century

• Modern recipe for disaster
• Highly intelligent engineers and scientists
• Advanced technologies
• Unethical decisions
• Remember Cherynobyl, Challenger, Pinto, Robert
  Morris computer virus, Mars lander.....

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Thanks for your attention!

• QUESTIONS??
• Dr. C. Dianne Martin
• Professor, Computer Science
• The George Washington University
• diannem_at_seas.gwu.edu