polimd/Computer Ethics/lesson_01.md

Computer Ethics - lesson 1

Viola Schiaffonati

19 September 2017

http://home.dei.polimi.it/schiaffo/CE/

Course Introduction

What is Compter Ethics? What is Ethics?

Ethics

It's difficult to define, and has many meanings. Derives from the Greek word ethos that means custom or morals Ethics is the science considering what is good and what is bad Usually good and bad are considered a personal opinion, while here we study this matter as a science.

Ethics and morals is not just an opinion specific to each person, given by that person culture; it is possible to study ethics with a rational method.

what's the difference between morality and ethics

• Ethics is the study of what is good and what is bad
• Morality is the group of personal opinions and attitudes.

A dictionary definition of ethics and morality can point us in a good direction but is not enough for a good study of the matter, in general a dictionary definition is never enough in phylosophy.

Aristotle is an ancient greek philosopher and scientist. He did knew of the existence of Physics' laws (maybe not with the same meaning of today) but did not give laws for human behaviour.

Aristotle defines ethics using the phrase in most of the cases because in human behaviour we can see a recurring behaviour but humans may not always behave in the same way.

Aristotle's ethics:

• Good actions as the matter of ethics
• The nature of human well-being as its principal concern
• Ethical virtues (justice, courage, temperance...) as central to a well-lived life

This is called virtue ethics and was meant as a way to improve an individual's life

This cource is intended to improve our professional life to improve the design and choices we will make during our engineering career.

Ethics reasoning and having in mind ethical problems is required during employment in other european countries.

How is it possible to deal rigorously with ethicsl problems if morality is subjective?

It is useless to stop a discussion by saying "This is my opinion and you have yours",

discussing about ethics is a process to search the right kind of morality.

Ethics is the systematic reflection on what is moral. Morality can still be personal while ethics is a meta-reflection on morality.

Ethics is a way to increase our ability to cope with moral problems But ethics is not a manual with answers, but can give critical tools

what is computer ethics? Class responses:

• moral side of computers
• autonomy
• limits
• how computers change our lives
• dependency on machines
• limit between natural and artificial
• data / privacy (related but general)
• impacts on human psychology

We will not start by the classical issues of computer ethics, but we will start by enginnering responsibility

Definition

Analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology, and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethicsl use of such technology (James Moor 1985)

James Moor said that there are policies vacuums for example about the debate over autonomous cars during malfunction.

Classical problems discussed in Computer Ethics

• Computers in the workplace: May workers replaced by computers, is one of the oldest problems (like 1970s) but it's still actual because today robots/AI can replace humans not only in a mechanical way but also in more creative kind of works. Radical alteration of skills

• Computer crime It's not the physical security that is in danger, but rather the logical security We will not discuss technical solutions but more general political,phylosophical,ethical choices (more than solutions)

Privacy was already a matter before the introduction of computers, but the problema has become more radical.

Information society can be seen as surveillance society that is a political problem more than ethical.

• Intellectual property There are different aspects of software that we can own:
  • the source code
  • the object code
  • the algorithm
  • the look and feel There are also many ways of software ownership. For the first time human laws are made on a global context:
  • Global laws
  • Gloabl education: and impact on dictatorships, small communities, religions...

why Computer Ethics

Technology is not neutral Technological development is not isolated from the world, but technology is always inserted in a social context. This idea is called socio-technical perspective.

Technological universities usually consider technology a world on its own.

In the design of a product there may be ethical choices, and Computer Ethics may help us steer the development of future technologies in a direction that is good for humanity (and you).