Moral and Ethical Issues in Computing
This section explores the moral, social, ethical, and cultural implications of digital technology, focusing on its impact on the workforce, decision-making, and society at large.
Computers in the Workforce
The advancement of technology has significantly changed skill sets required in various industries:
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Automated Decision Making: Computers now make rapid decisions in areas like electrical power distribution, plant automation, and airborne collision avoidance systems.
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Changing Job Landscape:
- Robot manufacturing has led to fewer direct manufacturing roles but more technical and maintenance positions.
- Online shopping has reduced in-store jobs but increased logistics and distribution roles.
- Online banking has resulted in the closure of many high street bank branches.
Example: Credit assessments by banks now often rely on automated systems for faster and more consistent evaluations.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI has both beneficial and potentially disadvantageous impacts:
- Credit-card checking for fraud detection
- Speech recognition for interpreting spoken language
- Medical diagnosis systems to aid healthcare professionals
- Control systems for monitoring and predicting events
Highlight: The debate around AI's impact on society continues, with both positive applications and concerns about job displacement.
Environmental Effects
Computers contain harmful materials such as airborne dioxins, PCBs, cadmium, chromium, radioactive isotopes, and mercury. This raises concerns about:
- Proper disposal methods
- Exportation to countries with lower environmental standards
- Recycling practices, including the extraction of scrap metal by workers and children in some countries
Censorship and the Internet
Internet censorship involves the suppression of what can be accessed or published online:
- Varies by country, often for political reasons
- Organizations like schools may apply additional censorship to protect individuals
Monitoring and Analysis
Digital technology enables extensive monitoring and analysis of personal information:
- CCTV for behavior monitoring
- Tracking of work performance
- Social media monitoring by organizations
- Analysis of personal data for market trends, criminal activity detection, and medical research
Vocabulary: CCTV stands for Closed-Circuit Television, a video surveillance system used for security and monitoring purposes.
