TSPE Piney Woods Chapter“What Is Computer Ethics?”

Greg T HarberDepartment of Computer ScienceStephen F Austin State University

gth@cs.sfasu.eduThe BS in Computer Science has since 2000

been accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The BA degree in Information Technology established in 2008 is one of only a few ITEC

programs in Texas and is growing rapidly.

James H. Moor

Is the Daniel P. Stone Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy at Dartmouth College. He earned his Ph.D. in 1972 from Indiana University. Considered one of the pioneering theoreticians in the field of computer ethics. His research also includes study in philosophy of artificial intelligence, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and logic.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~jmoor/

WHAT IS COMPUTER ETHICS?

The article first appeared in Terrell Ward Bynum, ed., Computers & Ethics, Blackwell, 1985, pp.266 – 75. (A special issue of the journal Metaphilosophy.)

Four Sections:

* A Proposed Definition

* The Revolutionary Machine

* Anatomy of the Computer Revolution

* The Invisibility Factor

Focus of Essay

What makes computers different from other technologies?

How this difference makes a difference in ethical considerations.

Characterize "computer ethics" Show why it is both intellectually interesting

and enormously important

A PROPOSED DEFINITION

Computer ethics is the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology

"computer technology" includes computers and associated technology (“software as well as hardware and concerns about networks connecting computers as well as computers themselves”)

Historical Aside

First Generation 1642 – 1940's Second Generation 1947 - 1958 Third Generation 1959 – today

Progression von Neumann architecture Transistor Integrated Circuit Microprocessor

Historical Aside

Internet 1969 – 1981 ARPAnet 1982 – 1995 TCP/IP, NSF, Ethernet, PC 1995 – today WWW, .com, Windows 95 Cellular network, satellite coverage Ethernet 1980 – 1985 wi-fi

Issues

A "policy vacuum" exists about how computers should be used:

Computers give us new capabilities which in turn give us new choices to formulate actions

Usually no policy is in place or the existing one is inadequate

Issues

The "central task" of computer ethics: To determine what we should do in these

cases, i.e., formulate policies to guide our actions.

Example used to clarify the "conceptual vacuum:”

Formulate a policy for protecting software (intellectual property)

Issues, cont.

What is software? Just IP or an idea, algorithm, code text?

Use copyright or patent system? Is a machine readable program the same (a

copy) as a human readable program? Intellectual infrastructure for software

You must understand all of the above before you can make a policy

THE REVOLUTIONARY MACHINE

What is special about the computer? Affordable Abundant (pervasive) Fast, small, easy-to-use, powerful

But these attributes are not enough for it to be "revolutionary" What is revolutionary?

Logical Malleability

THE REVOLUTIONARY MACHINE

It can be shaped or molded to do any activity that can be characterized in terms of inputs, outputs, and the connecting logical operations.

Its applications are limitless.

The "universal tool"

“I think logical malleability explains the already widespread application of computers and hints at the enormous impact computers are destined to have.”

ANATOMY OF THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION

What social impact will computers have?

The computer revolution will follow a two stage development:

Introduction 1940 – 1980 Permeation 1980 - today It will become an

integral part of institutions throughout our society - transforming everything

COMPUTER REVOLUTION

Examples: Voting - Use to count votes easily | Is it a

fair election? Money - Use to count and track money |

What is money? Educate - Use to assist education | What is

education? Work – Use to expedite routine work | What

is the nature of work?

In brief, the argument is as follows: The revolutionary feature of computers is their logical malleability. Logical malleability assures the enormous application of computer technology. This will bring about the Computer Revolution. During the Computer Revolution many of our human activities and social institutions will be transformed. These transformations will leave us with policy and conceptual vacuums about how to use computer technology. Such policy and conceptual vacuums are the marks of basic problems within computer ethics. Therefore, computer ethics is a field of substantial practical importance.

THE INVISIBILITY FACTOR

What is operationally suspect about computer technology? “Most of the time and under most conditions computer operations are invisible.”

Three kinds of invisibility which can have ethical significance:

Invisible abuse - the intentional use of the invisible operations of a computer to engage in unethical conduct

THE INVISIBILITY FACTORa) steal excess interest - theft

b) invasion of the property and privacy of others

c) surveillance Invisible programming values

Programmer's value judgments, e.g., AA Sabre chose AA flights, Training simulation

Invisible complex calculations - too complex fo human inspections and understanding

Examples

Black-Scholes equation- a way not only to calculate the value of options but all kinds of other financial assets. Moved into derivatives.

Long-Term Capital Management - "It showed the danger of this kind of algorithmically-based trading if you don't keep an eye on some of the indicators that the more conventional people would use"

Examples, cont.

Black-Scholes changed the culture of Wall Street, from a place where people traded based on common sense, experience and intuition, to a place where the computer said yes or no.

Modeling – weather, health, research

Examples, cont.

"As the age of autonomous cars and drone surveillance draws nearer, it's reasonable to expect government to increasingly automate enforcement of traffic laws.

Tolerance Frequency of data collection Duration of time

Examples, cont.

Capitol Records v. ReDigi Inc. ReDigi is basically a digital version of a

used-record store first sale doctrine - applies to physical items “Do you really own something if it's just a

bunch of ones and zeroes on your computer? If you take a digital song and you move someplace else, did you actually move it or did you just make a copy and destroy the original?”