Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Towards Ethical Ai: Mathematics Influences Human Behavior, Dioneia M. Monte-Serrat, Carlo Cattani

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Mathematics plays an important role in the linguistic structure of artificial in- telligence (AI). We describe the linguistic process as a unique structure present both in human cognition and in cognitive computing. The close relationship with both AI and human cognition is due to this unique structure, which paves the way for AI to interfere with the behavior of those who interact with it. We highlight the role of mathematicians in designing algorithms—the core of the AI linguistic process—and in defining steps and instructions for AI. Because al- gorithms, through AI, interfere with the thought of those who interact with …

Responsible Data Science For Genocide Prevention, Victor Piercey

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The term "genocide" emerged out of an effort to describe mass atrocities committed in the first half of the 20th century. Despite a convention of the United Nations outlawing genocide as a matter of international law, the problem persists. Some organizations (including the United Nations) are developing indicator frameworks and “early-warning” systems that leverage data science to produce risk assessments of countries where conflict is present. These tools raise questions about responsible data use, specifically regarding the data sources and social biases built into algorithms through their training data. This essay seeks to engage mathematicians in discussing these concerns.

When Ai Moves Downstream, Frances S. Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

After computing professionals design, develop, and deploy software, what is their responsibility for subsequent uses of that software “downstream” by others? Furthermore, does it matter ethically if the software in question is considered to be artificial intelligent (AI)? The authors have previously developed a model to explore downstream accountability, called the Software Responsibility Attribution System (SRAS). In this paper, we explore three recent publications relevant to downstream accountability, and focus particularly on examples of AI software. Based on our understanding of the three papers, we suggest refinements of SRAS.

A Case For Ethics In The Mathematics Major Curriculum, Feryal Alayont

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

When our students enter the workforce, be it in academia or in business, industry, government, they will be forced to make decisions about various ethical dilemmas. Once in a while, the scandalous stories like that of Enron, the three German auto-makers’ diesel fuel pact, and the Equifax data breach make the headlines. However, employees at every workplace are faced with small to large-scale ethical situations almost daily. In our majors’ future careers, a manager can be using an inappropriate graphic to display data to make the numbers look better, or the data collection processes used in a large public policy …

Towards Pedagogy Supporting Ethics In Modelling, Marie Oldfield

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Education for concepts such as ethics and societal responsibility that are critical in building robust and applicable mathematical and statistical models do currently exist in isolation but have not been incorporated into the mainstream curricula at the school or university level. This is partially due to the split between fields (such as mathematics, statistics, and computer science) in an educational setting but also the speed with which education is able to keep up with industry and its requirements. I argue that principles and frameworks of socially responsible modelling should begin at school level and that this would mean that ethics …

Benny, Barbara, And The Ethics Of Edtech, Geillan Aly

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Erlwanger (1973) shook the mathematics education world when he introduced Benny, a student who successfully worked through a behavioristic curriculum. Erlwanger showed how far removed Benny’s understanding of mathematics was from expectations. Erlwanger’s legacy is the basis for this comparative case study which explores students’ actions in the modern, in-class computer-centered emporium classroom. Many striking similarities are found between Pearson’s MyMathLabs (MML) and Benny’s Individually Prescribed Instruction curriculum. In this case study we meet Barbara, a student who succeeds in MML but shows little understanding of mathematical concepts and demonstrates that the legacy of Benny is his continued appearance in …

Violence In Mathematics Teaching. Reflections Inspired By Levinas’ Totality And Infinity, Adriano Demattè

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In mathematics class, violence is carried out in some usually not recognized situations. In this article, I share some reflections on the topic inspired by some passages of Totality and Infinity, work of the French-Lithuanian philosopher Emmanuel Levinas (1906-1995). I find violence by the teacher in not promoting students’ understanding of mathematics, in a distorted use of rhetoric, and in interrupting an ethical relation. This article analyses situations taken from class activities, focusing on the teacher’s presentation of mathematical content and students’ interventions. I also propose that the improvement of interventions in mathematics education is possible and suggest theoretical …

Foundational Mathematical Beliefs And Ethics In Mathematical Practice And Education, Richard Spindler

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Foundational philosophical beliefs about mathematics in the mathematical community may have an unappreciated yet profound impact on ethics in mathematical practice and mathematics education, which also affects practice. A philosophical and historical basis of the dominant platonic and formalist views of mathematics are described and evaluated, after which an alternative evidence-based foundation for mathematical thought is outlined. The dualistic nature of the platonic view based on intuition is then compared to parallel historical developments of universalizing ethics in Western thought. These background ideas set the stage for a discussion of the impact of traditional mathematical beliefs on ethics in the …

Ethics And Mathematics – Some Observations Fifty Years Later, Gregor Nickel

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Almost exactly fifty years ago, Friedrich Kambartel, in his classic essay “Ethics and Mathematics,” did pioneering work in an intellectual environment that almost self-evidently assumed a strict separation of the two fields. In our first section we summarize and discuss that classical paper. The following two sections are devoted to complement and contrast Kambartel’s picture. In particular, the second section is devoted to ethical aspects of the indirect and direct mathematization of modern societies. The final section gives a short categorization of various philosophical positions with respect to the rationality of ethics and the mutual relation between ethics and mathematics.

Special Issue -- Ethics In Mathematics: Foreword, Catherine Buell, Victor Piercey

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Cybersecurity Educational Resources For K-12, Debra Bowen, James Jaurez, Nancy Jones, William Reid, Christopher Simpson

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

There are many resources to guide successful K-12 cybersecurity education. The objective of these resources is to prepare skilled and ethical cybersecurity students at the earliest level to meet the demands of higher-level programs. The goal of this article is to provide, as a starting point, a list of as many currently popular K-12 educational resources as possible. The resources provided are broken into five categories: 1) Career Information, 2) Curriculum, 3) Competitions, 4) CyberCamps, and 5) Labs and Gaming. Each resource listed has a link, the K-12 levels that are supported, whether the resource is free or has a …

The Symptom Of Ethics: Rethinking Ethics In The Face Of The Machine, David J. Gunkel

Human-Machine Communication

This essay argues that it is the machine that constitutes the symptom of ethics— “symptom” understood as that excluded “part that has no part” in the system of moral consideration. Ethics, which has been historically organized around a human or at least biological subject, needs the machine to define the proper limits of the moral community even if it simultaneously excludes such mechanisms from any serious claim on moral consideration. The argument will proceed in five steps or movements. The first part will define and characterize “the symptom” as it has been operationalized in the work of Slovenian philosopher Slavoj …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Dental Care Delivery: A Comprehensive Review, Robert A. Faiella D.M.D., M.M.Sc., M.B.A., Shaju Puthussery M.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This comprehensive review explores the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the evolution of dental care delivery. As oral health specialists, dentists continually seek to enhance their ability to prevent, diagnose, and manage oral diseases while maintaining and improving patient oral health. The integration of AI offers unprecedented opportunities to revolutionize dental practice and patient care.

AI is rapidly advancing in healthcare, including dental care, with a projected global healthcare AI market value of $45.2 billion by 2026. This technology can potentially revolutionize prevention, diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment outcomes.

Aspects of AI in dentistry include:

· Diagnostic Accuracy …

Special Issue Call For Papers: Ethics In Mathematics, Catherine Buell, Victor Piercey

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The Journal of Humanistic Mathematics is pleased to announce a call for papers for a special issue on Ethics in Mathematics. Please send your abstract submissions via email to the guest editors by September 1, 2021. Initial submission of complete manuscripts is due December 1, 2021. The issue is currently scheduled to appear in July 2022.

Autonomous Vehicles And The Ethical Tension Between Occupant And Non-Occupant Safety, Jason Borenstein, Joseph Herkert, Keith Miller

The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique

Given that the creation and deployment of autonomous vehicles is likely to continue, it is important to explore the ethical responsibilities of designers, manufacturers, operators, and regulators of the technology. We specifically focus on the ethical responsibilities surrounding autonomous vehicles that these stakeholders have to protect the safety of non-occupants, meaning individuals who are around the vehicles while they are operating. The term “non-occupants” includes, but is not limited to, pedestrians and cyclists. We are particularly interested in how to assign moral responsibility for the safety of non-occupants when autonomous vehicles are deployed in a complex, land-based transportation system.

The Bioethical Significance Of “The Origin Of Man’S Ethical Behavior” (October 1941, Unpublished) By Ernest Everett Just And Hedwig Anna Schnetzler Just, Theodore Walker Jr.

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Abstract –

E. E. Just (1883-1941) is an acknowledged “pioneer” in cell biology, and he is perhaps the pioneer in study of egg cell fertilization. Here we discover that Just also made pioneering contributions to general biology and evolutionary bioethics.

Within Just’s published contributions to observational cell biology, there are substantial fragments of his theory of ethical behavior, a theory with roots in cell biology. In addition to such previously available fragments, Just’s fully developed theory is now available. This recently discovered unpublished book-length manuscript argues for the biological origins of ethical behavior (evolving from cells to humans, within a …

An Animal-Assisted Intervention Study In The Nursing Home: Lessons Learned, Lonneke G. J. A. Schuurmans, Inge Noback, Jos M. G. A. Schols, Marie-Jose Enders-Slegers

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

AAI studies in the nursing home pose a specific set of challenges. In this article the practical and ethical issues encountered during a Dutch psychogeriatric nursing home AAI study are addressed with the aim of sharing our experiences for future researchers as well as AAI practitioners in general.

In our study we compared three groups of clients with dementia who participated in group sessions of either visiting dog teams, visiting FurReal Friend robot animals, or visiting students (control group) and monitored the effect on social interaction and neuropsychiatric symptoms through video analysis and questionnaires. We encountered the following four categories …

Autonomous Vehicles And The Ethical Tension Between Occupant And Non-Occupant Safety, Jason Borenstein, Joseph Herkert, Keith W. Miller

Computer Ethics - Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE) Proceedings

Autonomous vehicle manufacturers, people inside an autonomous vehicle (occupants), and people outside the vehicle (non-occupants) are among the distinct stakeholders when addressing ethical issues inherent in systems that include autonomous vehicles. As responses to recent tragic cases illustrate, advocates for autonomous vehicles tend to focus on occupant safety, sometimes to the exclusion of non-occupant safety. Thus, we aim to examine ethical issues associated with non-occupant safety, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and riders of motorized scooters. We also explore the ethical implications of technical and policy ideas that some might propose to improve non-occupant safety. In addition, if safety (writ large) …

The Ethics Of Facebook, Michael W. Austin

The Chautauqua Journal

In this paper, I offer a moral analysis of Facebook. What are the morally positive features of Facebook? What are its morally negative features? I will limit my attention to the personal and interpersonal aspects of the use of this technology, and set aside an ethical analysis of the business practices, both past and present, of Facebook. My analysis, then, is not comprehensive. I will argue for a particular thesis concerning Facebook, namely, that in many ways Facebook’s moral value for a person depends on the character of that person, though the structure of this technology is not morally neutral. …

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 …

A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Millennial Shopping Experience: Preferences And Plateaus, Kimberly J. Harris, Jason Stiles, Joseph Durocher

Hospitality Review

This study identified and examined the concerns of hotel general managers regarding ethics in the hospitality industry. Thirty-five managers were interviewed during and immediately following the economic recession to determine which ethical issues in the hotel industry and at their own properties concerned them the most. Results showed that more people and organizations attempted to renegotiate hotel rates, which actions, in turn, led to some lapses in ethical behavior. Managers said that because of the economic downturn, they felt pressure from both private owners and corporate headquarters. They also said a lack of work ethic, low motivation, and low pay …

Free, Source-Code-Available, Or Proprietary: An Ethically Charged, Context-Sensitive Choice, Marty J. Wolf, Keith W. Miller, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

We demonstrate that different categories of software raise different ethical concerns with respect to whether software ought to be Free Software or Proprietary Software. We outline the ethical tension between Free Software and Proprietary Software that stems from the two kinds of licenses. For some categories of software we develop support for normative statements regarding the software development landscape. We claim that as society's use of software changes, the ethical analysis for that category of software must necessarily be repeated. Finally, we make a utilitarian argument that the software development environment should encourage both Free Software and Proprietary Software to …

Is Forensic Computing A Profession? Revisiting An Old Debate In A New Field, Bernd C. Stahl

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Forensic Computing is a new and quickly developing field. It is in the process of becoming an academic discipline or sub-discipline with all the features from full undergraduate and postgraduate course provision to conferences and journals. An important question in this process of turning into an established discipline is whether it will coincide with the recognition of the graduates as professionals. This paper hopes to stimulate the debate as to whether forensic computing is or should be a discipline. In order to approach this question, the paper will discuss the concept of forensic computing including the most salient topics of …

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, …

An Analysis Of Outdoor Leaders' Ethics Guiding Decisions, Denise Mitten

Research in Outdoor Education

Up to 70,000 people a year may participate in wilderness experience programs in the United States (Friese, Hendee, & Kinziger, 1998). Many more people participate in non-wildemess outdoor programs. Over 700 programs offer wilderness opportunities for personal growth in the United States with a predicted increase of 15 percent a year (Ewert & McAvoy, 1999). During these trips, the behavior modeled and the infor­mation shared by the outdoor leaders influences a large number of people, including people with many diverse needs. Garvey (1999) stated that outdoor leaders model what they hold to be the most appropriate behavior in a situation: …

Scientific Facts Vs. Political Values, Thomas G. Field Jr.

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Professor Field takes exception to a recent Science editorial.

Teaching Ethical And Social Issues In Cs1 And Cs2, Kay G. Schulze, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

The discussion of whether ethical and social issues of computing should be explored in undergraduate computer science education has resulted in most academic institutions and educators agreeing that they are important topics that must be included. Further support has been provided by Curricula '91 [16], the CSAC/CSAB accreditation [2] and ImpactCS [12]. Many books [7, 8, 9, 10] and papers [6, 14] have discussed what topics should be covered and what techniques can be used either in a dedicated course or in modules across the curriculum. However, explicit detailed examples that have worked successfully, particularly in lower level computer science …

Teaching And Evaluating Outdoor Ethics Programs: Setting A Research Agenda, Bruce E. Matthews

Research in Outdoor Education

No abstract provided.

The Separation Of Facts And Values, Arthur Kantrowitz

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Kantrowitz maintains that much modern pessimism derives from failure to separate what is from what ought to be and urges that scientific conflicts be resolved as value neutrally as possible.

Review Of: Lawrence J. Kaplan & Rosemarie Tong, Controlling Our Reproductive Destiny: A Technological And Philosophical Perspective, Sophie M. Sparrow

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of: Lawrence J. Kaplan & Rosemarie Tong, Controlling Our Reproductive Destiny: A Technological and Philosophical Perspective (The MIT Press 1994). Appendix (basic biochemistry), illustrations, index, notes, preface, series foreword by Samuel Goldberg, tables. CIP 93-38060, ISBN 0-262-11176-4 [418 pp. Cloth $29.95. 55 Hayward St., Cambridge MA 02142.]