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Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons™

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Sacred Heart University

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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Full-Text Articles in Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics

Why We Should Have Seen That Coming: Comments On Microsoft’S Tay “Experiment,” And Wider Implications, K. W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf, Frances S. Grodzinsky Oct 2017

Why We Should Have Seen That Coming: Comments On Microsoft’S Tay “Experiment,” And Wider Implications, K. W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf, Frances S. Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper we examine the case of Tay, the Microsoft AI chatbot that was launched in March, 2016. After less than 24 hours, Microsoft shut down the experiment because the chatbot was generating tweets that were judged to be inappropriate since they included racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic language. We contend that the case of Tay illustrates a problem with the very nature of learning software (LS is a term that describes any software that changes its program in response to its interactions) that interacts directly with the public, and the developer’s role and responsibility associated with it. We make …

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Era Of Big Data: Danger Of Descrimination, Andra Gumbus, Frances Grodzinsky Sep 2015

Era Of Big Data: Danger Of Descrimination, Andra Gumbus, Frances Grodzinsky

WCBT Faculty Publications

We live in a world of data collection where organizations and marketers know our income, our credit rating and history, our love life, race, ethnicity, religion, interests, travel history and plans, hobbies, health concerns, spending habits and millions of other data points about our private lives. This data, mined for our behaviors, habits, likes and dislikes, is referred to as the “creep factor” of big data [1]. It is estimated that data generated worldwide will be 1.3 zettabytes (ZB) by 2016. The rise of computational power plus cheaper and faster devices to capture, collect, store and process data, translates into …

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Trust, Betrayal, And Whistle-Blowing: Reflections On The Edward Snowden Case, Herman T. Tavani, Frances Grodzinsky Sep 2014

Trust, Betrayal, And Whistle-Blowing: Reflections On The Edward Snowden Case, Herman T. Tavani, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Is every act of whistle blowing, by definition, a betrayal of trust on the part of the whistle-blower? If so, are employees who blow the whistle, by implication, untrustworthy employees? Assuming that they are, would employees who blow the whistle (presumably on the grounds of moral obligation) also be willing to concede that they are not trustworthy employees, by virtue of carrying out their whistle-blowing act(s)? In answering these questions, we first propose some working definitions of whistle-blowing, trust, and trustworthiness. We then ask whether some instances of whistle-blowing are morally permissible (and perhaps also morally required), even if it …

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Moral Responsibility For Computing Artifacts: "The Rules" And Issues Of Trust, Frances S. Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf Dec 2012

Moral Responsibility For Computing Artifacts: "The Rules" And Issues Of Trust, Frances S. Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

“The Rules” are found in a collaborative document (started in March 2010) that states principles for responsibility when a computer artifact is designed, developed and deployed into a sociotechnical system. At this writing, over 50 people from nine countries have signed onto The Rules (Ad Hoc Committee, 2010). Unlike codes of ethics, The Rules are not tied to any organization, and computer users as well as computing professionals are invited to sign onto The Rules. The emphasis in The Rules is that both users and professionals have responsibilities in the production and use of computing artifacts. In this paper, we …

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Artificial Agents, Cloud Computing, And Quantum Computing: Applying Floridi’S Method Of Levels Of Abstraction, Marty J. Wolf, Frances Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller Jan 2012

Artificial Agents, Cloud Computing, And Quantum Computing: Applying Floridi’S Method Of Levels Of Abstraction, Marty J. Wolf, Frances Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

In his paper “On the Intrinsic Value of Information Objects and the Infosphere,” Luciano Floridi asserts that the goal of Information Ethics (IE) “is to fill an ‘ethical vacuum’ brought to light by the ICT revolution, to paraphrase Moor” (1985). He claims “IE will prove its value only if its applications bear fruit. This is the work that needs to be done in the near future” (Floridi 2002). Our chapter proposes to do part of that work. Initially we focus on Floridi’s Method of Levels of Abstraction (LoA). We begin by examining his methodology as it was first developed with …

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Ethical Reflections On Cyberstalking, Frances Grodzinsky, Herman T. Tavani Jan 2004

Ethical Reflections On Cyberstalking, Frances Grodzinsky, Herman T. Tavani

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

This essay examines some ethical aspects of stalking behavior in cyberspace. We have argued elsewhere that recent online stalking incidents raise a wide range of ethical concerns, including issues affecting gender (Grodzinsky and Tavani, 2001), personal privacy (Tavani and Grodzinsky, 2002), and physical vs. virtual harm (Grodzinsky and Tavani, 2002). The primary axis of discussion in this essay has to do with implications that cyberstalking has for our notion of moral responsibility, both at the collective (or group) and individual levels. For example, do collectivities and organizations such as Internet service providers (ISPs) have any moral obligations to cyberstalking victims, …

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Ethical Issues In Open Source Software, Frances Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf Jan 2003

Ethical Issues In Open Source Software, Frances Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

In this essay we argue that the current social and ethical structure in the Open Source Software (OSS) Community stem from its roots in academia. The individual developers experience a level of autonomy similar to that of a faculty member. Furthermore, we assert that the Open Source Software Community's social structure demands benevolent leadership. We argue that it is difficult to pass off low quality open source software as high quality software and that the Open Source development model offers strong accountability. Finally, we argue that Open Source Software introduces ethical challenges for universities and the software development community.

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Cyberstalking, Personal Privacy, And Moral Responsibility, Herman T. Tavani, Frances Grodzinsky Jun 2002

Cyberstalking, Personal Privacy, And Moral Responsibility, Herman T. Tavani, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

This essay examines some ethical aspects of stalking incidents in cyberspace. Particular attention is focused on the Amy Boyer/Liam Youens case of cyberstalking, which has raised a number of controversial ethical questions. We limit our analysis to three issues involving this particular case. First, we suggest that the privacy of stalking victims is threatened because of the unrestricted access to on-line personal information, including on-line public records, currently available to stalkers. Second, we consider issues involving moral responsibility and legal liability for Internet service providers (ISPs) when stalking crimes occur in their `space' on the Internet. Finally, we examine issues …

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The Development Of The 'Ethical' Ict Professional And The Vision Of An Ethical On-Line Society: How Far Have We Come And Where Are We Going?, Frances Grodzinsky Mar 2000

The Development Of The 'Ethical' Ict Professional And The Vision Of An Ethical On-Line Society: How Far Have We Come And Where Are We Going?, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

It has been a decade since Computer Ethics came into prominence within the field of computer science and engineering, changing not only the profession but the classroom as well. The commercialization and globalization of the World Wide Web has impacted us all, both producers and consumers alike. What was once the province of the few has become the virtual society of the multitudes. Ethical issues concerning security, privacy, information, identity, community and equity of access once contained and localized, have assumed additional complexity in the global environment. Every day, the front pages of our newspapers and magazines report violations of …

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The Practitioner From Within: Revisiting The Virtues, Frances Grodzinsky Mar 1999

The Practitioner From Within: Revisiting The Virtues, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Traditionally the study of computer ethics involves taking students who are not philosophically trained, exposing them to action-guiding theories, presenting them with the codes of ethics of several companies and professional organizations and asking them to make ethical decisions in scenario-based cases. This approach is deliberately action-based and focuses on doing. "What would you do?" is the traditional question we ask our students. While this pedagogical methodology forces them to examine situations and argue from a particular point of view, it does little to influence their character. They see the utilitarian or deontologist as someone other than themselves. There seems …

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