INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

1. 1. THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION

   • Revolution in the way we think
   • Revolution in the way we express what we think

2. 2. THE DIGITAL GENERATION

   • Receiving information really fast
   • Like to parallel process and multitask
   • Prefer graphic rather than text
   • Function best when networked
   • Prefer games to "serious" work
   • Comfortable with computer and electronic devices since childhood

3. 3. CHANGE AND UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT

   • Connections
     • Kill switches
     • Social networking
     • Web communication
     • Cellphones
     • Telemedicines
   • E-commerce and free stuff
     • Web
     • E-book
     • Phone services
   • Tools for disabled people
   • AI, robotics, sensors & motion
     • Machine
     • Sensors
     • Alarm

4. 4. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER ETHICS

5. 5. BASIC CONCEPTS OF COMPUTER ETHICS

   • Definition
     • DO THE RIGHT THING
     • Assume people are rational and make free choices
     • Rules to follow our interaction and our actions that affect others
     • Effort of professional philosophers to apply traditional ethical theories
   • Ethical Views
     • Deontological
       • Emphasize duty and absolute rules whether it leads to good or ill consequences
       • Eg: Lying is wrong
     • Utilitarianism
       • Increase happiness and what satisfies a person's needs and values
       • Eg: Stealing in order to help poor people
     • Natural Rights
       • Respects a set of fundamental rights of others
       • Eg: life, property etc
     • Negative Rights
       • The right to act without interfernce
       • Eg: Freedom of speech
     • Positive Rights
       • An obligation of some people to provide certain things for others
       • Eg: Help people in need
     • Golden Rights
       • Treat other as you would want them to treat you
     • Contributing to society
       • Doing one's work honestly, responsibly, ethically, creatively and well is virtuous
       • Eg: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), charity
     • Social contracts and a theory of political justice
       • People willingly submit to a common law in order to live in a civil society
       • Eg: copyright, software infringement etc
     • No simple answer
       • Human behavior and real human situations are complex
       • Ethical theories help to identify important principles or guidelines
   • Theme & Issues
     • Intellectual Property
     • Digital Rights Management
     • Privacy
     • Control and Access
     • Cencorship
     • Computer Crime
     • AI
     • Law and Ethics

6. 6. CODE OF ETHICS

   • ACM code of ethics Bylaws of the ACM
   • IEEE code of ethics Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
   • Draft Software Engineering Code of Ethics SEEPP Executive Committee
   • SAGE Code of Ethics Hale Miller
   • Software Ethic University of Toronto
   • Code of Ethics for Programmers ? Jon Katz