Chapter Six

Ethics and Professionalism of ET

By: Asfaw k (MSc).

AA,Ethiopia.
Introduction
 In the previous chapters, emerging technologies like data science/big data,
artificial intelligence, internet of things and augmented reality were
discussed. After having a discussion on all of the above emerging
technologies, it is time to study their connection with our ethical values as
well as social values. In this chapter, the connection of emerging
technologies with professional ethics, privacy, accountability, trust was
discussed.
 Finally, the threats and challenges of emerging technologies will be
explained.
After accomplishing this chapter, students will be able to:

 Distinguish the link between ethics and technology.

 Understand general, professional and leadership ethical questions.

 Explain what digital privacy is, its components and why it is important.

 Know the importance of accountability and trust in emerging technologies.

 Identify the threats and challenges we face in developing and utilizing

emerging technologies.
Technology and ethics

 The Internet boom/rapid growth/expansion has provided many benefits for

society, allowing the creation of new tools and new ways for people to

interact. As with many technological advances, however, the Internet has

not been without negative aspects.

 For example, it has created new concerns about privacy, and it has been

hampered/vulnerable by spam and viruses. Moreover, even as it serves as a

medium for communication across the globe, it threatens to cut off people

who lack access to it.

 Cont…

 Technology can serve to promote or restrict human rights. The Information

Society should foster the use of emerging technologies in such a way as to

maximize the benefits that they provide while minimizing the harms. In

many cases, this promotion may be less a matter of technological control

than of oversight: establishing the proper legal or regulatory system to ensure

that technology capable of abuse is not in fact abused and that the benefits of

technology are shared among all.

 Cont…
 Ethics is particularly important for the accountancy profession, with a code
for professional ethics based on five basic principles – integrity, objectivity,
competence and due care, confidentiality, and professional behavior.
However, the emergence of new technologies raises some new challenges
for the profession to address.
New ethical questions
 The increasing use of big data, algorithmic decision-making, and artificial
intelligence can enable more consistent, evidence-based and accurate
judgments or decisions, often more quickly and efficiently. However, these
strengths can potentially have a darker side too, throwing up questions
around the ethical use of these fairly new technologies.
 Cont..

For example, outputs can be based on biased data, which could lead to
discriminatory outcomes. Indeed, where systems learn from real-world data,
there is a significant risk that those systems simply recreate the past and
subsequently build in errors or systemic biases. Closely linked to discrimination
is personalization, and the impact of tailoring decisions very specifically to
individuals, based on preferences, activities and other features. While this can be
beneficial for many, others can lose out, and outcomes can again seem unfair or
unethical.
 Cont…
 Additionally, questions are being asked regarding the interaction between
computers and humans. How much reliance can we place on data and
models, and what is the role of human judgment, as well as how do we
ensure that we understand the decision-making process? Whatever the
power of the machine, humans will still need to be involved, so that
people can be held accountable, or explain the reasons behind a decision.
 Cont…
• A central problem of the ethics of technology is that it tends to arrive too late. In
many cases, ethical issues are only recognized when the technology is already on
the market and problems arise during its widespread use. Ethics can then become
a tool to clean up a mess that might have been avoidable. It is probably not
contentious to say it would be desirable to have ethical input at the earlier stages
of technology design and development. Indeed, there are ethical theories and
approaches that explicitly aim at an early integration of ethics into the
technology life cycle.
 Cont…
 One central problem of this type of approach is that the future is unknown. By
definition, we do not know with certainty what will happen in the future and
ethics that relies on future development needs to be able to answer the
question of how it decides which technological developments to pursue.
Ethics has traditionally not been well equipped to deal with issues of
uncertainty and, in particular, future uncertainty.
General ethical principles
1. Contribute to society and to human well-being, acknowledging that all
people are stakeholders in computing. 2. Avoid harm.
o Be honest and trustworthy.
o Be fair and take action not to discriminate
o Respect the work required to produce new ideas, inventions, creative
works, and computing artifacts.
o Respect privacy.
o Honor confidentiality
Professional responsibilities.
 Strive to achieve high quality in both the processes and products of
professional work.
 Maintain high standards of professional competence, conduct, and ethical
practice.
 Know and respect existing rules pertaining to professional work.
 Accept and provide appropriate professional review.
 Perform work only in areas of competence.
 Cont…
 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and
their impacts, including analysis of possible risks.
 Foster public awareness and understanding of computing, related
technologies, and their consequences.
 Access computing and communication resources only when authorized or
when compelled by the public good.
 Design and implement systems that are robustly and usably secure.
Professional leadership principles.
 Ensure that the public good is the central concern during all professional
computing work.
 Articulate, encourage acceptance of and evaluate fulfillment of social
responsibilities by members of the organization or group.
 Manage personnel and resources to enhance the quality of working life.
 Articulate, apply, and support policies and processes that reflect the
principles of the Code.
 Cont…
 Create opportunities for members of the organization or group to grow as
professionals.
 Use care when modifying or retiring systems. Interface changes, the
removal of features, and even software updates have an impact on the
productivity of users and the quality of their work.
 Recognize and take special care of systems that become integrated into the
infrastructure of society.
Digital privacy
 Digital Privacy is the protection of personally identifiable or business
identifiable information that is collected from respondents through
information collection activities or from other sources.
 It is a collective definition that encompasses three sub-related categories;
information privacy, communication privacy, and individual privacy It is
often used in contexts that promote advocacy on behalf of individual and
consumer privacy rights in digital spheres, and is typically used in opposition
to the business practices of many e-marketers/businesses/companies to
collect and use such information and data.
Information Privacy
 In the context of digital privacy, information privacy is the notion that individuals
should have the freedom, or right, to determine how their digital information, mainly
that pertaining to personally identifiable information, is collected and used. Every
country has various laws that dictate how information may be collected and used by
companies.
 Some of those laws are written to give agency to the preferences of
individuals/consumers in how their data is used. In other places, like in the United
States, privacy law is argued by some to be less developed in this regard, For
example, some legislation, or lack of, allows companies to self-regulate their
collection and dissemination practices of consumer information.
Communication Privacy
• In the context of digital privacy, communication privacy is the notion that
individuals should have the freedom, or right, to communicate information
digitally with the expectation that their communications are secure; meaning
that messages and communications will only be accessible to the sender's
original intended recipient. However, communications can be intercepted or
delivered to other recipients without the sender's knowledge, in a multitude
of ways. Communications can be intercepted directly through various
hacking methods; this is expanded upon further below.
 Cont…

Communications can also be delivered to recipients unbeknownst to the sender due to

false assumptions made regarding the platform or medium which was used to send
information. An example of this is a failure to read a company's privacy policy
regarding communications on their platform could lead one to assume their
communication is protected when it is in fact not. Additionally, companies frequently
have been known to lack transparency in how they use information, this can be both
intentional and unintentional. Discussion of communication privacy necessarily
requires consideration of technological methods of protecting
information/communication in digital mediums, the effectiveness, and ineffectiveness
of such methods/systems, and the development/advancement of new and current
Individual Privacy
 In the context of digital privacy, individual privacy is the notion that
individuals have a right to exist freely on the internet, in that they can
choose what types of information they are exposed to, and more importantly
that unwanted information should not interrupt them An example of a digital
breach of individual privacy would be an internet user receiving unwanted
ads and emails/spam, or a computer virus that forces the user to take actions
they otherwise wouldn't. In such cases the individual, during that moment,
doesn't exist digitally without interruption from unwanted information; thus,
their individual privacy has been infringed upon.
Some digital privacy principles
 Data Minimization: collect the minimal amount of information necessary
from individuals and businesses consistent with the Department’s mission
and legal requirements.
 Transparency: Notice covering the purpose of the collection and use of
identifiable information will be provided in a clear manner. Information
collected will not be used for any other purpose unless authorized or
mandated by law.
 Cont…

 Accuracy: Information collected will be maintained in a sufficiently accurate,

timely, and complete manner to ensure that the interests of the individuals and
businesses are protected.
 Security: Adequate physical and IT security measures will be implemented to
ensure that the collection, use, and maintenance of identifiable information are
properly safeguarded and the information is promptly destroyed in accordance
with approved records control schedules.
Accountability and trust
 When emerging technology creates far-reaching and rapid change, it can
also bring new risks. Understanding and mitigating them will help to build
confidence. Often legal and regulatory frameworks haven’t kept pace with
digital transformation, and organizations are seeking guidance.
 This challenge is exacerbated by the speed at which technological change is
occurring and the breadth of its adoption – which is introducing new risks
that demand new responses.
 Cont…
 Emerging technologies can provide improved accuracy, better quality and
cost efficiencies for businesses in every sector. They can enhance trust in
the organization’s operations and financial processes, which is crucial for
sustainable success. But this can produce a paradox: the very solutions that
can be used to better manage risk, increase transparency and build
confidence are often themselves the source of new risks, which may go
unnoticed.
 Cont…
 There’s a danger that the use of technology will degrade people’s
willingness to judge and intervene because they feel that they are less
personally connected to consumers and consumer outcomes – the logic of
the machine has taken over from individual responsibility.
 The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities,
accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent
manner. It also includes the responsibility for money or other entrusted
property.
 Treats and challenges

Ethical and regulatory challenges

 With Technology moving at a fast pace it is always been a challenge for Security. As
security professionals, we need to keep pace with ever-changing technology and be aware
of the AI, IoT, Big Data, Machine Learning, etc. It is no more Guards, guns & gates it is
more than that & we need to play a major role for a security professional to support
business or rather we should be able to understand the language of business and talk to the
leaders in their language. With Growing needs Cyber & Data Security is getting
prominence that requires security practitioners to focus on the business need for securing
data, understanding security and risk from a business perspective by extensively interacting
with the business community in understanding their requirements or what they want.
 Cont…
 Emerging technologies are already impacting how we live and work. They're
also changing how we approach, plan, and integrate security operations.
Certainly, we are living in an era where innovation, agility, and imagination
are all essential in order to keep pace with the exponential technological
transformation taking place. For security, both physical and cyber, the
equation is the same catalyzing many new potential applications for emerging
technologies.
Emerging technologies are making an impact include:
 Counter-terrorism and law enforcement informatics via predictive analytics
and artificial intelligence.
 Real-time horizon scanning and data mining for threats and information
sharing
 Automated cybersecurity and information assurance
 Enhanced Surveillance (chemical and bio-detection sensors, cameras, drones,
facial recognition, license plate readers)
 Simulation and augmented reality technologies for training and modeling
 Cont…
 Safety and security equipment (including bullet and bomb proof) made with lighter
and stronger materials
 Advanced forensics enabled by enhanced computing capabilities (including future
quantum computing)
 Situational awareness capabilities via GPS for disaster response and crisis response
scenarios
 Biometrics: assured identity security screening solutions by bio-signature: (every
aspect of your physiology can be used as a bio-signature. Measure unique
heart/pulse rates, electrocardiogram sensor, blood oximetry, skin temperature)
 Robotic Policing (already happening in Dubai!)
Challenges in using Artificial Intelligence
 AI is only as good as the data it is exposed to, which is where certain
challenges may present themselves. How a business teaches and develops
its AI will be the major factor in its usefulness. Humans could be the
weak link here, as people are unlikely to want to input masses of data into
a system.
 Cont…
 Another dilemma that comes along with AI is its potential to replace human
workers. As machines become more “intelligent” they could begin to
replace experts in higher-level jobs. Alternatively, AI also has the potential
to take the burden of laborious and time-consuming tasks from these people,
freeing up their time and brainpower for other things e.g. doctors using
diagnostic AI to help them diagnose patients will analyze the data presented
by the AI and make the ultimate decision. Managing the challenges posed
by AI will require careful planning to ensure that the full benefits are
realized and risks are mitigated.
Challenges in using Robotics in manufacturing
 With automation and robotics moving from production lines out into other
areas of work and business, the potential for humans losing jobs is great
here too. As automation technologies become more advanced, there will be
a greater capability for automation to take over more and more complex
jobs. As robots learn to teach each other and themselves, there is the
potential for much greater productivity but this also raises ethical and
cybersecurity concerns.
Challenges in using the Internet of Things
 As more and more connected devices (such as smartwatches and fitness
trackers) join the Internet of Things (IoT) the amount of data being
generated is increasing. Companies will have to plan carefully how this will
affect the customer-facing application and how to best utilize the masses of
data being produced. There are also severe security implications of mass
connectivity that need to be addressed.
Challenges in Big Data
 Almost all the technologies mentioned above have some relation to Big
Data. The huge amount of data being generated on a daily basis has the
potential to provide businesses with better insight into their customers as
well as their own business operations.
 Although data can be incredibly useful for spotting trends and analyzing
impacts, surfacing all this data to humans in a way that they can understand
can be challenging. AI will play a role here.
Treats
 New and emerging technologies pose significant opportunities for
businesses if they utilize them well and understand their true value early
on. They also pose risks and questions not only to business but to society
as a whole. Planning for how to deal with these emerging technologies and
where value can be derived while assessing potential risks before they
become a fully-fledged reality is essential for businesses that want to thrive
in the world of AI, Big Data and IoT.
Some risks of emerging technology are:
 Driverless car: while a compelling option for future fleer cars, companies could crash
and burn from claims related to bodily injury and property damage.
 Wearables: Google glass, Fitbit and other wearables can expose companies to the
invasion of privacy claims that may not be covered by general liability or personal injury
claims that weren’t foreseen.
 Drones: Turbulence is in the offing for manufacturers and organizations that fail to
protect themselves for property damage and bodily injury, as well as errors and omissions.
 Internet of things: The proliferation of sensors and cross-platform integration creates
potential exposure from privacy invasion, bodily injury and property damage that may
connect an organization to huge liabilities.
End of chapter Six
Good Luck!!!