Emerging Information Technologies I

1. Emerging Information Technologies I Session 4: Ethics and Emerging Information Technologies FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

2. Ethics and Emerging Information Technologies • Rapid digital transformation is resulting in many emerging technologies including machine learning, artificial intelligence, precise genetic engineering, sense-and-avoid robots, and autonomous weapons systems. • A significant potential to improve human wellbeing , e.g. curing diseases, ensuring adequate food supply, and improving national security, .. • But they raise new ethical dilemmas. • The goal of this session is to increase awareness of these ethical issues FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

3. Ethics PLURAL NOUN • 1usually treated as pluralMoral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity. ‘medical ethics also enter into the question’ ‘a code of ethics’ • 1.1 The moral correctness of specified conduct. ‘many scientists question the ethics of cruel experiments’ • 2usually treated as singularThe branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles. ‘neither metaphysics nor ethics is the home of religion’ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ethics FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

4. Ethical Dilemma • ethical dilemma • NOUN • A situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails transgressing a moral principle. • ‘he is faced with an ethical dilemma: leave his post to help save his father's life, or follow his sense of duty’ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ethical_dilemma • Three Conditions: • Decision has to be made • Different courses of action • No matter the choice, some ethical principle is violated FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

5. Ethical Dilemma - Examples • Autonomous weapons systems • minimizing loss of human life vs allowing an agent to act (kill) without knowing right from wrong. • Assuming that the world will never be rid of wars and that in the near future we will be able to design perfect AWS, that once authorized can independently target and engage, securely and flawlessly. • 1a. Should the president of the USA authorize the continued development and deployment of AWS? Why or why not? • 1b. Do you support the continued development and deployment of AWS? Why or why not? FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

6. Ethical Dilemma - Examples • Genetically modified foods • helping ensure an adequate food supply for human beings vs controlling technology based on fear (of potential side-effects on biodiversity, corporate control). • Questions • Do you support the research, development, and widespread use of transgenic foods to help ensure an adequate food supply for the world assuming: technological research, development, and testing and increased regulation will continue to reduce risks? Why or why not? • Do you support Intellectual Property protection to increase global collaboration and investment in transgenic foods? Why and why not? FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

7. Debate • Germline genome editing • Therapy: Treat genetic diseases vs respect differences, equality/justice, autonomy/consent, moral/religious issues • Enhancement: realize human potential vs respect differences, equality/justice, autonomy/consent, moral/religious issues • Arguments for support genome-editing research involving embryos • Arguments for support germline-editing for therapy • Arguments for support germline-editing for enhancement • Address technical, social, cultural, and moral issues in your argument • References: • https://www.eurostemcell.org/ethics-changing-genes-embryo • https://www.genome.gov/27569225/what-are-the-ethical-concerns-about-genome-editing/ • https://www.nap.edu/read/24623/chapter/1#xiii FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

8. A framework for making ethical decisions • Recognize an Ethical Issue • Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alternative, or perhaps between two "goods" or between two "bads"? • Is this issue about more than what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how? • Get the Facts • What are the relevant facts of the case? What facts are not known? Can I learn more about the situation? Do I know enough to make a decision? • What individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome? Are some of the concerns more important? Why? • Get all available data from all sources and use descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics to help make data-based decisions. • What are the options for acting? Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted? Have I identified creative options? • https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-ethical-decisions FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

9. A framework for making ethical decisions • Evaluate Alternative Actions • 7. Evaluate the options by asking the following questions: • Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian Approach) • Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The Rights Approach) • Which option treats people equally or proportionately? (The Justice Approach) • Which option best serves the community as a whole, not just some members? (The Common Good Approach) • Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? (The Virtue Approach) • https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-ethical-decisions FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

10. A framework for making ethical decisions • Am I willing to own and take responsibility for the decision? • Make a Decision and Test It • Considering all these approaches, which option best addresses the situation? • If I told someone I respect -- or told a television audience -- which option I have chosen, what would they say? How will I explain or justify myself with a clear conscience? • Act and Reflect on the Outcome • How can my decision be implemented with the greatest care and attention to the concerns of all stakeholders? • How did my decision turn out and what have I learned from this specific situation? • https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-ethical-decisions FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

11. Debate • Germline genome editing • Therapy: Treat genetic diseases vs respect differences, equality/justice, autonomy/consent, moral/religious issues • Enhancement: realize human potential vs respect differences, equality/justice, autonomy/consent, moral/religious issues • Arguments for support genome-editing research involving embryos • Arguments for support germline-editing for therapy • Arguments for support germline-editing for enhancement • Address technical, social, cultural, and moral issues in your argument • References: • https://www.eurostemcell.org/ethics-changing-genes-embryo • https://www.genome.gov/27569225/what-are-the-ethical-concerns-about-genome-editing/ • https://www.nap.edu/read/24623/chapter/1#xiii FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA

12. Debate Format In a formal debate, the speakers follow a set order. The following is the most basic of debate structure. The affirmative team receives five minutes to present their case to the audience. The equal team receives five minutes to present their case. The negative team receives five minutes to present their case. All teams receive ten minutes to prepare a rebuttal and summary The order of speech is reversed now and the negative team presents their rebuttal and summary for five minutes. The equal team presents their rebuttal and summary for five minutes. The last to speak is the affirmative team who then presents their rebuttal and summary for five minutes. The debate is now concluded. Usually in debate, the winner is the one who has presented the strongest case. The overall purpose of speaking is usually more important than the specific outcome of the debate. Still, the teams will probably want to know who won. To determine the winner, have the audience vote on which team they thought made the most convincing argument. FALL 2018 EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I - AGERWALA