Ethics Lecture Dr. Christina Howe howe@evansville.edu Dr. Deborah Hwang hwang@evansville.edu

Ethics Pre-Assessment Survey Survey will not count towards your grade. Note the differences between each of these.

Definitions Etiquette The codes of behavior and courtesy. Rules indicating the proper and polite way to behave. Laws The system of rules established by an authority such as the government of a town, state, or country. Morals The accepted standards of right and wrong that are usually applied to personal behavior. Note the differences between each of these.

Definitions Ethics A branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior The principles of conduct governing an individual or a group Computing Ethics The field of applied ethics and system of moral principles that apply to the practice of computing. The field examines and sets the obligations by developers to society, to their clients, and to the profession. Point out that ethics is governed by groups of people, such as in engineering, and why that is different then the definitions on the previous slide.

Why do we need to study computing ethics? Discuss important ethical issues before they occur Ethical issues can be complex and deal with conflicting principles Acquire skills in dealing with complex ethical problems and know the tools available to help solve them Protect the public Protect ourselves Maintain a high quality of work Keep us honest

Scope of Computing Ethics Social Responsibility Design Process Policy Legislation Safety Global Issues Personal Responsibility Professionalism Conflict of Interest Whistle Blowing Reject Bribery Assisting Colleagues Employer Responsibility Managers, Engineers, Consultants Fair Compensation Investment in Research Professional Development of Employees Discuss each of these branches and what they mean.

Scope of Computing Ethics Social Responsibility Design Process Policy Legislation Safety Global Issues Personal Responsibility Professionalism Conflict of Interest Whistle Blowing Reject Bribery Assisting Colleagues Employer Responsibility Managers, Engineers, Consultants Fair Compensation Investment in Research Professional Development of Employees Design process – is it environmentally friendly? Can we do it better to protect our resources? Policy – does this conform to public policy? Legislation – is it lawful? Safety – am I putting the public in danger? Global issues – how does this affect the world, not just my small part of it?

Scope of Computing Ethics Social Responsibility Design Process Policy Legislation Safety Global Issues Personal Responsibility Professionalism Conflict of Interest Whistle Blowing Reject Bribery Assisting Colleagues Employer Responsibility Managers, Engineers, Consultants Fair Compensation Investment in Research Professional Development of Employees Professionalism – am I conducting myself in a professional manner? Conflict of Interest – does this involve multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt motivation for an act in the other? Whistle blowing – should I inform the authorities of a harmful, dangerous, or illegal activity? How does this conflict with my obligations to employer? Reject bribery – Assisting colleagues – in professional development and support in upholding the code of ethics

Scope of Computing Ethics Social Responsibility Design Process Policy Legislation Safety Global Issues Personal Responsibility Professionalism Conflict of Interest Whistle Blowing Reject Bribery Assisting Colleagues Employer Responsibility Managers, Developers, Consultants Fair Compensation Investment in Research Professional Development of Employees Define roles and hierarchy of responsibilities. Pay people for their work. Research the better way to do things (relates back to social responsibility). Help develop professional, ethical engineers.

Codes of Ethics for Computing Provide the framework for ethical decisions Governing agencies ACM: Association for Computing Machinery IEEE-CS: Inst of Electrical and Electronics Engrs Computer Society NSPE – National Society of Professional Engineers Web Resources ACM Special Interest Group on Computers and Society (SIGCAS): http://www.sigcas.org NSF Workshops, Teaching Ethics and Computing, K. Bowyer, Univ. Notre Dame: http://www.cse.nd.edu/~kwb/nsf-ufe/index.html Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility: http://cpsr.org / The Research Center on Computing & Society: http://ares.southernct.edu/organizations/rccs/ The Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science: http://onlineethics.org/ Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at IIT: http://ethics.iit.edu/ Association for Practical and Professional Ethics at IU: http://www.indiana.edu/~appe/ IEEE document of professional aspects of employment, click here. IEEE document on education/professionalism, click here. UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, click here. Texas A&M Univ. engineering ethics: http://ethics.tamu.edu/ National Institute for Engineering Ethics: http://www.niee.org/ NSPE Board of Ethical Review: http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/BoardofEthicalReview/ (e.g., see Board of Ethical Review case analyses at http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/EthicsResources/BER/ ).

ACM Code of Ethics: General Moral Imperatives As an ACM member, I will: Contribute to society and human well-being. Avoid harm to others. Be honest and trustworthy. Be fair and take action not to discriminate. Honor property rights including copyrights and patent. Give proper credit for intellectual property. Respect the privacy of others. Honor confidentiality. Read and discuss each one

ACM Code of Ethics: More Specific Professional Responsibilities As an ACM computing professional, I will: Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness and dignity in both the process and products of professional work. Acquire and maintain professional competence. Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work. Accept and provide appropriate professional review. Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks. Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities. Improve public understanding of computing an its consequences. Access computing an communication resources only when authorized to do so. Read and discuss each one

ACM Code of Ethics: Organizational Leadership Imperatives As an ACM member and an organizational leader, I will: Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities. Manage personnel and resources to design and build information systems that enhance the quality of working life. Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an organization's computing an communication resources. Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of requirements; later the system must be validated to meet requirements. Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and others affected by a computing system. Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems. Read and discuss each one

ACM Code of Ethics: Compliance with the Code As an ACM member, I will: Uphold and promote the principles of this Code. Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM. Read and discuss each one

IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics Software engineers shall adhere to the following Eight Principles: PUBLIC – Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest. CLIENT AND EMPLOYER – Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client and employer consistent with the public interest. PRODUCT – Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible. JUDGEMENT – Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgement. Contrast with ACM code.

IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics MANAGEMENT – Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance. PROFESSION – Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest. COLLEAGUES – Software engineers shall be  fair to and supportive of their colleagues. SELF – Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession

Conflict Solving an ethical problem is similar to a design problem Sometimes the correct answer to an ethical issue is not obvious Example: Inappropriate material is found by a technician on a work computer The technician has competing responsibilities To keep the information seen confidential To report a violation of the computer use policy Solution: technician should report what was seen, the employee has no legal right to privacy on company computer

Assignment 1 Due next class Find 2 ethics case studies, preferably historical ones that occurred within the last 10 years In groups you will discuss one of the cases and determine the ethical issues involved Each group will present their findings to the class Arguments welcome

Assignment 2 Post-Assessment Quiz Due in 2 classes Choose one of the case studies you found (you may not use one that was discussed in class) Briefly describe What happened The ethical issues Any outcomes of lawsuits, board reviews, etc., if historical Provide your own viewpoints on the case Your essay must be 1-2 printed pages, single spaced. Be sure to include references!!! Come to class prepared to discuss your case Post-Assessment Quiz