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mrahmedcomputing

KS3, GCSE, A-Level Computing Resources

Lesson 1. Ethical Considerations


Lesson Objective

  • Be able to explain what an ethical issue is.
  • Discuss some current ethical topics in Computing.

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Lesson Notes

Ethics

Ethics, also called moral philosophy, explores questions about what is right and wrong. It examines the principles that guide our moral judgments and how we make decisions. Essentially, ethics helps us understand how to live well and consider what benefits individuals and society.

Ethics deals with fundamental questions such as:

Ethics encompasses the fundamental issues of practical decision making, exploring questions of ultimate value and the standards by which human actions can be judged right or wrong.

Ethics in Computer Science is a critical area of discussion. As technology continues to shape our lives, it's essential to address the following ethical issues:

  1. Privacy and Data Security: Ensuring the safety of personal data is crucial. Hacking attempts, data breaches, and unauthorized access to sensitive information are ethical concerns.
  2. Systemic Bias and Algorithmic Fairness: Algorithms can perpetuate biases present in their training data. It's essential to develop fair and unbiased algorithms to avoid discriminatory outcomes.
  3. Intellectual Property and Copyright: Respect for intellectual property rights is crucial. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material or plagiarism can have legal and ethical implications.
  4. Safety and Responsibility in Technology Development: As new technologies emerge (e.g., driverless cars), safety becomes paramount. Ethical decisions may involve prioritizing passenger safety over other road users. Responsible development and testing are essential to prevent unintended harm.
  5. Transparency and Accountability: Developers should be transparent about how their systems work. Users have a right to understand how their data is collected, processed, and used.
  6. Environmental Impact: The energy consumption of data centers, electronic waste, and the carbon footprint of technology are ethical considerations.
  7. Social Responsibility: Technology can exacerbate social inequalities. Developers should consider the broader societal impact of their work. For instance, social media algorithms can influence public opinion and contribute to echo chambers.

Driverless Cars

Why?

Driverless cars have plenty of benefits to offer, including improved safety and a reduced environmental impact. According to the US Department of Transport, up to 94% of road accidents are due to human error, so it's predicted that driverless vehicles could have a huge impact on traffic accidents.

moneysupermarket.com (2021)


Artificial Intelligence

Computer systems that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

Google (2020)

AI can be used for the following:

  • Research
  • Decision making
  • Driverless cars
  • Security
  • Advertising
  • Military

Advantages of AI:

  • Productivity
  • Long term cost efficiency
  • Safety
  • Complete more complex tasks

Disadvantages of AI:

  • Expensive to implement
  • Replaces humans
  • Critical thinking
  • Continued programmer bias
  • Dependancy
  • Human fear of development

Wearables, Robots and AI

The introduction of wearable technology means that people are carrying more technology around with them and allowing devices to collect more data about them.

As wearable technology has become smaller and more portable, some companies have also developed implantable technology. This type of device is likely to require a surgical procedure to install the device.

What jobs can robots do?

  • Accountants, cashiers, sports referees, legal secretaries and cleaners are already being replaced by robots.
  • Maidbot is a company building robots to clean hotel rooms.
  • Another company has invented an automated hamburger making machine.
  • Driverless cars/ Drones for delivery.

Computers and robots in healthcare

Healthcare apps for smartphones and devices are very common. Wearable technology can offer continuous, long-term monitoring. This can lead to improvements in the way that diseases like epilepsy, asthma and diabetes are managed.

In Japan and South Korea, childminding robots are being developed. Scientists warn of the dangers: “We already see the overuse of robots looking after children – we expect severe attachment disorders that could wreak havoc in our society” – Noel Sharkey, professor of AI


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