Ethical, Professional and Legal

Aspects in Information Systems

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:

• Critically consider the wider legal, social, professional and ethical
environment for IT professionals.
• Critically discuss contemporary issues at the intersection of
computing, technology, economy, politics and society.
• Demonstrate appreciation of the importance of a professional and
ethical approach to computer science, software engineering and
information systems, along with the importance of lifelong
professional development.

CIS6004 2
Assessment and Weighing

This module is assessed as follows:

1. WRIT1 – Student led Workshop (workshop plan and delivery)– 50%
2. Open Book Exam – 50%

CIS6004 3
Required Readings

• A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing

Technology (5th Edition) by Sara Baase
• Ethics for the Information Age (7th Edition) by Michael J. Quinn

CIS6004 4
Recommended Reading

• Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace (6th Edition)

by Richard Spinello

CIS6004 5
Robots – beyond Asimov and “A.I.”

The European Commission recognizes Robotics as

a key industry for the future of Europe.
The European Commission has recently agreed to
launch a Public Private Partnership in Robotics
(PPP) between academia and industry for 2013.
•So …
•What are robots?
•What do we mean by robots?
•What are the criteria for something to be a robot?
•Definition?
https://www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/about/articles/2016/beyond-asimov.html
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 Describe a Robot …
•What is it that makes a ‘robot’ a robot?
•?
Only by understanding what makes robots unique
from other technologies can we begin to think about
•?
what makes robot ethics distinct from engineering
ethics more generally.
•?
Peter M. Asaro, Robots as Products: Responsibility and Liability. At Robotics
Business Review. November 2012.
http://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/article/robots_as_products_responsibility_and_liability

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 Here is one definition
“… soft and sentient machines that will help and assist humans in the
broadest possible sense to support and sustain our welfare.

… what does it take to make our assisting machines sentient?”

From a blog on robots:

http://www.robotcompanions.eu/blog/

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 What do robots do?
•? • Safety critical situations (military, disaster recovery)
•? • Maintenance operations (investigating faults,
•? assessing maintenance, e.g. underground)
•? • Manufacturing (producing goods, e.g. cars)
• Health (robotic surgery)
•?
• Homes (robots as helpers, companions)
•?
• Supermarkets (robots as helpers)

"Supermarket robot to help the elderly" Lin Edwards, 17 December

2009.Physorg.com (w/ Video)
see: http://www.physorg.com/news180261433.html

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Google and AI

• Google the search engine

Google’s search engine was always driven by algorithms that automatically
generate a response to each query.
• Google Ads and Doubleclick
• Google Maps
stimates where you are headed and helps you navigate without any
commands.
• Youtube
• use machine learning techniques to ensure that brands are not displayed
next to offensive content.
• Google Photo
• suggesting which photos you should share with friends.
More…… https://research.aimultiple.com/ai-is-already-at-the-heart-of-
google/
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Everyday AI

• Commuting
• Google’s AI-Powered Predictions
• Ridesharing Apps Like Uber and Lyft
• Commercial Flights Use an AI Autopilot
• Smart Email Categorization
• Grading and Assessment
• Plagiarism Checkers
• Robo-readers
• Banking/Personal Finance
• Mobile Check Deposits
• Fraud Prevention
• Credit Decisions

BIS3328 2012-13 11
Everyday AI

• Banking/Personal Finance
• Mobile Check Deposits
• Fraud Prevention
• Credit Decisions
• Social Networking
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Snapchat

BIS3328 2012-13 12
Everyday AI

• Mobile Use
• Voice-to-Text
• Smart Personal Assistants

More…. https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/everyday-examples-of-
ai/
https://www.iqvis.com/blog/9-powerful-examples-of-artificial-
intelligence-in-use-today/
https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/artificial-intelligence-software/

BIS3328 2012-13 13
DNA robots

• DNA Robot targets and destroys cancer cells

• Upon identifying specific deviant cells, the tiny organic robot
releases its payload of destructive material onto the
cancerous target while well-functioning surrounding cells
remain out of harm’s way.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17058066

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Is a robot an “information system”?
Consider robots in the home … so-called “artificial
companions” or even ‘smart’ devices (i.e. smart homes)

Ethical issues:
Collection of personal data – sometime medical
Who controls the technology, and do they consider ethical issues?
Artificial companions may appear to have emotions or intelligence –
what is impact on vulnerable people
Do vulnerable users understand what the technologies are doing?

15
General Principles in Ethically Aligned
Design(IEEE)
1. Human Rights–
A/IS shall be created and operated to respect, promote, and protect
internationally recognized human rights.
2. Well-being–
A/IS creators shall adopt increased human well-being as a primary success
criterion for development.
3. Data Agency–
A/IS creators shall empower individuals with the ability to access and securely
share their data, to maintain people’s capacity to have control over their
identity.

BIS3328 2012-13 16
General Principles in Ethically Aligned
Design(IEEE)
4. Effectiveness–
A/IS creators and operators shall provide evidence of the effectiveness
and fitness for purpose of A/IS.
5. Transparency–
The basis of a particular A/IS decision should always be discoverable.
6. Accountability–
A/IS shall be created and operated to provide an unambiguous rationale for
all decisions made.

BIS3328 2012-13 17
General Principles in Ethically Aligned
Design(IEEE)
7. Awareness of Misuse–
A/IS creators shall guard against all potential misuses and risks of A/IS in
operation.
8. Competence–
A/IS creators shall specify and operators shall adhere to the knowledge and
skill required for safe and effective operation

BIS3328 2012-13 18
Legal issues in AI

• Human Rights
• Contracts and Liability
• Data Privacy
• Intellectual Property

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=4284727f-3bec-
43e5-b230-fad2742dd4fb

BIS3328 2012-13 19
Microsoft Sees Need for AI Laws, Regulations

• Companies making and selling AI software will need to be held

responsible for potential harm caused by “unreasonable practices” —
if, for example, a self-driving car program is set up in an unsafe
manner that causes injury or death, Microsoft said.
• And as AI and automation boost the number of laborers in the gig
economy or on-demand jobs, Microsoft said technology companies
need to take responsibility and advocate for protections and benefits
for workers, rather than passing the buck by claiming to be “just the
technology platform” enabling all this change
https://www.industryweek.com/technology-and-iiot/emerging-
technologies/article/22024955/microsoft-sees-need-for-ai-laws-
regulations
https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2018/01/17/future-computed-
artificial-intelligence-role-society/
BIS3328 2012-13 20
Who is responsible

• Data scientist who develop AI tool

• Filed experts who provide train data
• Users of the tool

• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11547-020-01135-9
• https://www.thedrum.com/industryinsights/2020/03/11/ai-and-
ethics-time-talk-about-responsibility

• Microsoft AI principles
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/responsible-
ai?activetab=pivot1:primaryr6

BIS3328 2012-13 21
Asimov's Laws : Robots

Asimov’s Three Laws are as follows:

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a
human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where
such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection
does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/asimovs-laws-wont-stop-
robots-from-harming-humans-so-weve-developed-a-better-solution/

BIS3328 2012-13 22
Ethical principles for designers,
builders and users of robots
1. Robots should not be designed solely or primarily to kill or harm
humans.
2. Humans, not robots, are responsible agents. Robots are tools designed
to achieve human goals.
3. Robots should be designed in ways that assure their safety and
security.
4. Robots are artifacts; they should not be designed to exploit vulnerable
users by evoking an emotional response or dependency. It should
always be possible to tell a robot from a human.
5. It should always be possible to find out who is legally responsible for a
robot.

https://joanna-bryson.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-meaning-of-epsrc-principles-of.html
BIS3328 2012-13 23
7 high level messages
(from the workshop)
• …robots have the potential to provide positive impact to society
… encourage responsible robot research.
• Bad practice hurts us all.
• Addressing public concerns will help us all make progress.
• … roboticists, are committed to the best possible standards of
practice.
• … work with experts from other disciplines, including: social
sciences, law, philosophy and the arts.
• … consider the ethics of transparency: are there limits to what
should be openly available?
• … [roboticists] to contact journalists re errors in press coverage

BIS3328 2012-13 24
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_robotics
 Professional Codes of Conduct
Statement of Ethical Principles, Royal Academy of Engineering
Professional issues:
Relevant to emergent technologies (such as autonomous
systems) there is a particular duty of engineers to:

•identify and evaluate and, where possible, quantify risks.

•be aware of the issues that engineering and technology
raise for society, and listen to the aspirations and
concerns of others.
•actively promote public awareness and understanding of
the impact and benefits of engineering achievements.
http://www.raeng.org.uk/societygov/engineeringethics/pdf/Statement_of_Ethical_Principles.pdf
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Further reading

• https://www.insidetechlaw.com/artificial-intelligence
• https://www.uktech.news/ai-sounds-great-but-what-about-the-legal-
issues
• https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2018.0080
• https://miguelgfierro.com/blog/2018/10-ethical-issues-of-artificial-
intelligence-and-robotics/
• https://www.loc.gov/law/help/artificial-intelligence/asia-pacific.php
• https://www.analyticssteps.com/blogs/how-tesla-making-use-
artificial-intelligence-its-operations
• https://fylim.medium.com/6-fundamental-principles-of-robotic-
process-automation-rpa-solution-design-a3ef6575c113

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