Question

Here are some issues that you may have noticed in the news, each of which involves the intertwining of technology and human values: Personal privacy when surfing the web Software quality issues: How good is good enough? Licensing of software engineers The digital divide: The haves and havenots of information U.S. Supreme Court ruling on virtual kiddie porn U.S. Supreme Court ruling on filters on public library Internet use U.S. Supreme Court ruling that children have the right to buy violent games Tracking terrorist and hate group websites Censoring information on the web about making bombs Loss of jobs due to technology Computer algorithms for determining the risks of subprime mortgages Virtual reality as recreation Computer simulations in the courtroom Email spam and legislation to stop it Online education and cheating Surveillance cameras in public areas Face recognition to scan for terrorists \(\mathrm{FBl}\) databases of criminals Websites listing convicted sex offenders' addresses Stolen credit card numbers posted on the Internet Sales taxes on Internet sales Computing for the disabled Open source software versus commercial software Remixing pictures or videos found on the web to create art Term papers or problem solutions for sale on the Internet Internet-based plagiarism detection services States selling information compiled from drivers' licenses Database matching to find deadbeat parents Internet casino gambling Workplace monitoring using computers Legal rights for robots Smart bombs and other lethal robots/ drones Artificial intelligence devices for medical diagnosis DNA evidence in death penalty cases The rise and fall of Anonymous, LulzSec, and WikiLeaks Edward Snowden's leaks of U.S. security documents Fake news as a political campaign tool a. Practice creating analogies-Pick three topics from the list shown here, or make up some topics of your own that involve technology and humans. For each topic, think of an analogous situation that does not involve computing. For example, if you picked "online education and cheating," an obvious analogy would be to consider face-to-face education and cheating. If you picked "personal privacy when surfing the web," an analogy might be "personal privacy when renting movies." When you've picked your three topics and your analogy for each, make a short list of how each analogy is like the topic and how the analogy is different from the topic. b. Practice finding stakeholders-Pick your favorite topic from among the three topics you chose in Exercise 1a. For that topic, make a new list of all the significant stakeholders in the topic. (Hint: Remember that a stakeholder can be an individual, a group of individuals, a corporation, perhaps the environment, or any other entities you think are important in your topic.) For each stakeholder, list what the stakeholder most values in this situation. It might help you to frame a specific question or propose a particular action related to the topic. For example, if your topic is "online education and cheating," you might propose the action, "online education should be suspended until online cheating can be better controlled" or "online education should include automated cheating detection." "This narrowing of the topic sometimes simplifies the task of imagining what people value with respect to this issue. c. Practice identifying costs and benefits-For each stakeholder you identified in Exercise \(1 b\), list the possible costs and benefits in the situation you chose. In many cases, these are potential costs and benefits, things that might or might not happen. Sometimes the words vulnerability and opportunity can be more accurate than cost and benefit because of uncertainties in the situation. d. Practice looking for duties and responsibilities-In the previous two parts, you identified some stakeholders. Let's use the letter \(N\) to stand for the number of stakeholders you identified. Now, make a two-dimensional table that has \(N \times N\) cells. At the top of the table, label each column with one of your stakeholders. At the left of the table, copy the list of stakeholders, one for each row. If the stakeholders were \\{Fred, Ethel, Lucy\\}, then the table would look like this: $$ \begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|} \hline & \text { Fred } & \text { Ethel } & \text { Lucy } \\ \hline \text { Fred } & & & \begin{array}{c} \text { Things } \\ \text { that Fred } \\ \text { owes Lucy } \end{array} \\ \hline \text { Ethel } & & \begin{array}{c} \text { Things } \\ \text { that Ethel } \\ \text { owes Ethel } \end{array} & \\ \hline \text { Lucy } & \begin{array}{c} \text { Things } \\ \text { that Lucy } \\ \text { owes Fred } \end{array} & & \\ \hline \end{array} $$ Inside each cell, list any duties or responsibilities that the stakeholder on the left owes the stakeholder above. For example, three of the cells are marked in the sample table. Don't neglect the cells that describe duties people have to themselves.

Short answer

Create analogies, list stakeholders, identify costs/benefits, and outline duties.

Step-by-step solution

Create Analogy

Choose three topics from the list. For instance: "Personal privacy when surfing the web," "Face recognition to scan for terrorists," and "Internet-based plagiarism detection services." Create an analogous situation for each: - For "Personal privacy when surfing the web," an analogy could be "Privacy when browsing books in a library." - For "Face recognition to scan for terrorists," an analogous situation might be "Security checks at airport gates." - For "Internet-based plagiarism detection services," an analogy could be "Checking academic records for original work." List similarities and differences for each analogy.

Identify Stakeholders

Select a topic from those chosen in Step 1. Let's say "Face recognition to scan for terrorists." Identify stakeholders such as: - Government agencies focused on security - Citizens concerned with privacy rights - Technology companies providing software - Advocacy groups opposing surveillance List what each stakeholder values, such as increased security, personal privacy, or technological advancement.

List Costs and Benefits

For each stakeholder identified in Step 2 for the topic "Face recognition to scan for terrorists," outline possible costs and benefits: - Government agencies: Costs may include the financial outlay for software and potential privacy lawsuits. Benefits could include enhanced national security and crime prevention. - Citizens: Costs might involve a loss of personal privacy. Benefits include potentially living in a safer environment. - Technology companies: Costs could be maintaining ethical use of their technology. Benefits might be financial profit and reputation enhancement. - Advocacy groups: Costs might entail limited influence over policy decisions. Benefits could involve societal recognition of privacy issues.

Identify Duties and Responsibilities

Construct a table with stakeholders listed both across the top and down the side. For each stakeholder, note responsibilities towards others. For example: - Government agencies may owe citizens transparency and protection of civil liberties. - Citizens owe themselves awareness and understanding of implications. - Technology companies owe the government responsible technology solutions. This structured approach highlights accountability and potential conflicts of interest.

Key concepts

Privacy and Security

In the modern world, privacy and security have become central concerns, especially when we consider the Internet and technology's pervasive presence in our lives. Personal privacy, when surfing the web, is parallel to privacy when engaging in other activities, like browsing in a library. In both scenarios, the user desires anonymity and confidentiality in their choices, without invasive surveillance.
Security measures, such as those employed in face recognition technology for scanning terrorists, exemplify a balance between public safety and individual rights. While enhancing security, this technology raises significant privacy issues.
Citizens often worry about how their data is collected and used, fearing the potential for misuse or overreach.

• Maintaining personal data privacy whilst implementing necessary security measures is crucial.
• There should be clear guidelines and transparency on data collection and usage to build trust.
• The role of regulatory bodies becomes paramount in ensuring privacy is respected while security is fortified.

Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder analysis involves identifying and understanding all parties involved or affected by an issue. This is especially pertinent in topics interlinking technology and human values, such as face recognition aimed at enhancing security.
The significant stakeholders in this context include:

• Government agencies tasked with maintaining national security.
• Citizens concerned about safeguarding their privacy rights.
• Technology companies developing surveillance technology.
• Advocacy groups fighting against potential overreach of surveillance.

Each stakeholder holds different values; for instance, government agencies prioritize national security, citizens value privacy, and tech companies may be focused on innovation and profits. However, these values can sometimes conflict, leading to debates about the appropriate balance.
Understanding stakeholders' roles and viewpoints can lead to more informed decision-making that respects diverse interests.

Ethics in Technology

Ethics in technology is a foundational aspect of how society integrates and uses technological advancements. Questions like how good is 'good enough' when it comes to software quality, or the potential ethical dilemmas involving AI and data privacy are all part of this discussion.
Technology companies, developers, and users each have ethical responsibilities. For technology companies, this might involve ensuring their products do not harm users or society. Developers should strive to create safe, reliable products without bias or hidden backdoors. On the users' part, understanding the technology they interact with and its possible implications is crucial.

• Promoting transparency in algorithms and AI operations can help in ethical evaluation.
• Ethics boards within companies can provide guidance and oversight on how technology is developed and used.
• The need for ethical guidelines and legislation in technology development grows as tech continuously advances.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Conducting a cost-benefit analysis helps in making decisions concerning investments in technology or implementing new systems. Taking the example of face recognition technology for terrorist detection, each stakeholder experiences unique costs and benefits.
For government agencies, the benefits include heightened security and crime prevention, while the costs could involve significant financial expenditure and potential pushback on privacy grounds.
Citizens might benefit from improved safety; however, the potential cost is the erosion of personal privacy.

• Weighing these factors requires careful consideration of the long-term societal impacts versus immediate security enhancements.
• Technology companies face costs associated with ethical technology deployment, counterbalanced by potential profits and innovation recognition.
• Analyzing these factors determines whether the benefits outweigh the costs and guides decision-making in policy and technology use.

Duties and Responsibilities

Every stakeholder in a technological ecosystem has specific duties and responsibilities that help maintain a balance between innovation, security, ethics, and privacy. These duties extend to self and others. For instance, in a surveillance scenario, government agencies owe transparency to citizens, protecting their civil liberties while ensuring public security.
Citizens themselves have a duty to remain informed about technologies affecting their privacy and to voice concerns or approval as necessary.

• Technology companies are expected to deploy technologies responsibly, avoiding misuse or unethical applications.
• It’s important for these companies to engage with stakeholders and consider feedback, particularly concerning privacy and data handling.

By understanding these roles clearly, organizations and individuals can work towards harmonious and responsible technology deployment, ensuring a balance between innovation and respect for human values.