Note addresses of authors: Floridi – Faculty of Philosophy Floridi and Sanders, Mapping the Foundationalist Debate, Ethics and Information Technology, 4 (2002) Research Skills Note addresses of authors: Floridi – Faculty of Philosophy Sanders – Programming Research Group What does this tell you? Note year of paper – it’s a bit old. How find newer writings?
go to EUCoGill conference – programme, participant list Floridi and Sanders (2002) Research Skills Relevance to Essay 1: How conduct research based on http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/20/artificial-intelligence-impact-lives ? go to EUCoGill conference – programme, participant list check Robolaw website Google search “Watson medical AI”
How would you summarise the paper (in one or two sentences)? Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper How would you summarise the paper (in one or two sentences)? It examines the historical development of approaches to computer ethics arguing that CE, although not a completely new ethical domain, does require new elements to be included in any normative theory due to profoundly changing the context in which ethical problems arise
The Paper: Introduction Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: Introduction ICT outpaces ethical and legal developments Cases studies(individual problem analysis) fails to address general principles Bottom-up approach (cases/problems) has been combined with more global, strategic analysis (top-down) that attempts to situate CE within the landscape of ethical theories Thesis: that Information Ethics provides a foundation for CE
The Paper: No Resolution Approach Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: No Resolution Approach CE problems are unsolvable dilemmas; there’s no foundation Characterised by dramatic stories that sensitise people to the issues (pop ethics) Identifies what goes wrong but doesn’t provide systematically grounded solutions
The Paper: Professional Approach Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: Professional Approach Argues there’s no fundamental difference between CE and other applied ethics fields (business, engineering, medical, etc.) Aims to proactively develop standards, obligations, responsibilities, etc., of a profession; i.e. has pragmatic goals, not metaethical But ignores the fact that issues permeate contemporary life, rather than just being professional Is not a substitute for providing a theoretical foundation and may lead to a 10 Commandments indoctrination approach
The 10 Commandments Floridi and Sanders (2002) Thou shall not use a computer in ways that may harm the people. Thou shall not interfere with other people's computer work. Thou shall not snoop around in other people's computer files. Thou shall not use a computer to steal. Thou shall not use a computer to bear false witness Thou shall not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid. Thou shall not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. Thou shall not appropriate other people's intellectual output. Thou shall think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing. Thou shall always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.
The Paper: Radical Approach - CE is a unique discipline Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: Radical Approach - CE is a unique discipline Emphasises gravity and novelty of CE problems; stresses that theoretical foundation is necessary Unable to show that CE problems are unique, requiring new foundation Hard to demonstrate that a specific problem cannot be encompassed by some adaptation of an existing theory
The Paper: Professional Approach - CE as applied ethics Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: Professional Approach - CE as applied ethics Classical ethical theories are sufficient CE problems are not inherently new, but only a version of existing moral issues So the approach has theoretical foundation (existing ethical theories) and is more than just for professionals (codes, standards) , is also for “citizens of the information society” Doesn’t address which normative ethical theory applies in new situations arising in CE. Nagging possibility that there may in fact be brand new ethical issues not encompassed by existing theories
The Paper: Innovative Approach - Information Ethics Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: Innovative Approach - Information Ethics CE problems are unique enough to reveal limitations of existing normative ethics Substantially new moral problems enrich philosophy itself requiring new normative ethical theory Information is viewed as the third party (to the agent and the act) Positions information as the centre of attention (as opposed to the act or the agent)
The Paper: Discussion – Your views/thoughts Floridi and Sanders (2002) The Paper: Discussion – Your views/thoughts Are there ethical issues that are brand new, that existing ethical theories do not adequately encompass? Is it sufficient as a computing professional to be only concerned with the “professional approach”?