Ethics By Professor Wilmer Arellano Definitions Obligation of

Ethics By: Professor Wilmer Arellano

Definitions Obligation of the Engineer Example Ethical Dilemmas ◦ The Code Model ◦ Ethical theories Links of interest Review Overview

Ethics and your proposal

Robot workers versus human workers ◦ The question whether it is ethically and morally responsible to manufacture robot workers - androids - is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to robots and artificial intelligence. ◦ There are no easy answers here. The debate has been going for some time and there are several possible outcomes. http: //www. links 999. net/robotics/robots/ robots_ethical. html Posing an ethical dilemma

Intelligent Wheel Chair Historically, people with disabilities have been faced with environmental, architectural, and attitudinal barriers. Each of these categories of barriers has impinged on choice. For example, the environment was much more limiting 20, 30, and 50 years ago than it is today. At one time these barriers prevented some children who used wheelchairs from getting an education and prevented some adults from accessing jobs. As these barriers have been addressed through legislation, the choices available to individuals with disabilities have been expanded. However, many barriers still exist. http: //www. worksupport. com/Main/proed 9. asp Solving an ethical dilemma

Silicon Valley Programmer Indicted For Manslaughter Program Error Caused Death by Robot by Mabel Muckraker Special to the Silicon Valley Sentinel-Observer Silicon Valley, USA Article 1 of The Case of the Killer Robot ◦ Jane Mc. Murdock, prosecuting attorney for the city of Silicon Valley, announced today the indictment of Randy Samuels on charges of manslaughter. Samuels was formerly employed as a programmer at Silicon Techtronics Inc. , one of Silicon Valley's newest entries into the high-tech arena. The charge involves the death of Bart Matthews, who was killed last May by an assembly-line robot. http: //onlineethics. org/cases/robot/article-1. html Flaws in design create an ethical issue

Moral: Morality refers to a set of values that are widely shared and relatively stable within a community. Moral values are those pertaining to what is right or wrong, good or bad. Moral values are the foundations of our obligations (our duties) toward one another. ◦ Ethics: Ethics is “a branch of philosophy, which through formal and systematic analysis, attempts to critically examine human conduct focusing on the rightness and wrongness, goodness or harmfulness of actions”. Philosophical ethics focuses on normative issues that address “what is morally right and what is morally wrong with regard to human action” ◦ Law: Law is distinguished from morality, in part, by the fact that it is written by legislatures and courts, and it is enforceable. The purposes of law are to maintain order, to punish wrongdoers, to resolve disputes fairly, and to distribute benefits (and harms) justly according to what people need or deserve. ◦ ◦ https: //www. thieme-connect. com/products/ejournals/html/10. 1055/s-2004 -815580 Definitions

Obligation of the Engineer Example William J. Le. Messurier, one of the best structural engineers and designers in the world. He served as the structural consultant for architect, Hugh Stubbins, Jr. , for the design of a new New York headquarters for Citicorp In many ways, Le. Messurier’s conceptual design for Citicorp is similar to other striking skyscrapers as it used the tube concept in which a building is designed as a tall, hollow tube that has a comparatively rigid or stiff tube wall. Wilmer Arellano © 2013

Obligation of the Engineer Example Le. Messurier’s Citicorp design was innovative in several ways. ◦ A large mass, floating on a sheet of oil, within the triangular roof structure acting as a damper oscillations due to wind forces. Wilmer Arellano © 2013

Obligation of the Engineer Example The land on which the Citicorp Center was built had belonged to St. Peter’s Church. When St. Peter’s sold the building lot to Citicorp, it also negotiated that a new church be erected “under” the Citicorp skyscraper. In order to manage this, Le. Messurier moved the “corners” of the building to the center of the sides. Wilmer Arellano © 2013

Le. Messurier received a call from an engineering student in New Jersey who was told by a professor that the building’s columns had been put in the wrong place. Le. Messurier reviewed his original design and calculations to see just how strong the wind bracing system would be. He found out that when examining the building under a non standard quartering wind (the wind hits a building on a 45 -degree diagonal) the building could suffer major damage. Obligation of the Engineer Example Wilmer Arellano © 2013

Le. Messurier considered several options, including driving into a freeway bridge abutment at high speed. He also considered remaining silent. The damper could eliminate the risk. If electric power would fail that wouldn’t work. After talking to lawyers and insurance companies, he got in contact with the principal officers of Citicorp. Initially evacuating the building was considered, especially since hurricane season was just over the horizon, at the end all of the connections at risk should were redesigned and fixed without evacuation. Obligation of the Engineer Example Wilmer Arellano © 2013

“In return for getting a [professional engineering] license and being regarded with respect, you’re supposed to be selfsacrificing and look beyond the interests of yourself and your client to society as a whole. And the most wonderful part of my story is that when I did it nothing bad happened. ” William J. Le. Messurier Obligation of the Engineer Example Wilmer Arellano © 2013

I am an Engineer, in my profession I take deep pride. To it I owe solemn obligations. Since the Stone Age, human progress has been spurred by the engineering genius. Engineers have made usable Nature’s vast resources of material and energy for Humanity's benefit. Engineers have vitalized and turned to practical use the principles of science and the means of technology. Were it not for this heritage of accumulated experience, my efforts would be feeble. As an Engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect, and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of Earth’s precious wealth. As an Engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give the utmost. Obligation of the Engineer

An ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves an apparent mental conflict between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in transgressing another. Ethical dilemmas are often invoked in an attempt to refute an ethical system or moral code, or to improve it so as to resolve the paradox ◦ https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ethical_dilemma "Would you steal a loaf of bread in order to feed your family? “ ◦ http: //www. ehow. com/how_8605955_solve-loaf-bread-feedfamily. html Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical dilemmas can be analyzed using two decision-making models: Codes of ethics and conduct that govern the practice of professions and institutions like companies and schools ("the code model"). If a code of ethics and conduct deals with the situation addressed in the ethical dilemma, then the code may sufficiently resolve the issue. Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical theories from Western philosophy ("the ethical theory model"). ◦ A code may not address a particular situation central to an ethical dilemma. ◦ The ethical dilemma may be too complex for it to be resolved using a code. ◦ Finally, the ethical principles underlying the code are inadequate and need to be reconsidered. Ethical Dilemmas

1. Recognize Ethical Issues 2. Recognize the stakeholders 3. Determine the codes that apply ◦ Every problem has more than one aspect and not every aspect is ethical in nature. An ethical issue is one in which an action or belief can harm/benefit yourself or others. ◦ Who will be harmed or benefited by a particular course of action? ◦ Put yourself in the shoes of each stakeholder, understand each stakeholder perspective. ◦ How would each stakeholder want you to resolve the dilemma? ETHICAL C 0 DE MODEL

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment; to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist; to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data; to reject bribery in all its forms; to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences; IEEE Code of Conduct

to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations; 7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others; 8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin; 9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action; 10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics. 6. Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors August 1990 IEEE Code of Conduct

1. Recognize Ethical Issues 2. Recognize the stakeholders ◦ Every problem has more than one aspect and not every aspect is ethical in nature. An ethical issue is one in which an action or belief can harm/benefit yourself or others. ◦ Who will be harmed or benefited by a particular course of action? ◦ Put yourself in the shoes of each stakeholder, understand each stakeholder perspective. ◦ How would each stakeholder want you to resolve the dilemma? ETHICAL THEORY MODEL

3. Determine the options: ◦ ◦ ◦ Present several options to solve the ethical dilemma. Will anyone be harmed and, if so, how? Will anyone benefit and, if so, how? Are there any rules or principles (legal, professional, organizational, or other) that automatically invalidate this option? ETHICAL THEORY MODEL

4. Apply various ethical theories to evaluate each option: Do any of the ethical theories support or reject any of the three options? a) Consider only those ethical theories that directly apply to the dilemma. b) Choose the option that meets the criteria of the largest number of ethical theories that you've chosen to consider. ETHICAL THEORY MODEL

Which option will generate the greatest benefit (or least amount of harm) for the greatest number? (utilitarianism) 2. Which option safeguards and/or promotes your own or your organization's best interests? (ethical egoism) 3. Which option allows you to be willing to make your decision a rule or policy that you and others in your situation can follow in similar situations in the future? Have you or will you be using any person as a means to an ends without consideration for his/her basic integrity and dignity as a human being? (Kantian ethics) 4. Which options respect the rights of individuals in society? (rights ethics) 1. ETHICAL THEORIES

5. Choose, defend, and justify the best option based on the above analysis: After considering various ethical theories, which option is the best? ◦ There are no right or wrong answers to ethical dilemmas; there are only strong or weak arguments. If you have made a decision based on strong reasoning, then you should be able to defend that decision. ETHICAL THEORY MODEL

In 1994/95, it was discovered and widely reported that the latest version of the Intel Pentium chip had flaws. Options 1. Deny the existence of the problem 2. There are flaws in the chip, the customer is informed of them, but no help is offered. 3. A warning label says that the chip should not be used for certain applications. 4. Recall notices are sent out, and all flawed chips are replaced. 5. Replacement chips are offered only if the customer notices the problem. LINE DRAWING

Do not analyze legal issues with this method Do not analyze safety issues with this method

When this bug was first reported, Intel denied that it existed. After this bug was proven to exist, Intel denied that it was a problem. When customers wanted a replacement chip, Intel demanded that *THEY* (the customer) prove that they were affected by this bug. Yet to this very day, Intel refuses to acknowledge that this is a bug; instead they always refer to this as a flaw -- whatever the difference may be. Intel Response http: //www. rcollins. org/Errata/Feb 97/Bugs. html

Definitions Ethical Dilemmas ◦ The Code Model ◦ Ethical theories Obligation of the Engineer Links of interest Review

http: //www. onlineethics. org/ http: //www. nspe. org/ethics/codeofethics 2003. pdf http: //www. niee. org/ http: //www. sinclair. edu/about/gened/val ues/code/index. cfm Links of Interest

http: //www. sinclair. edu/about/gened/values/ code/index. cfm http: //caae. phil. cmu. edu/Cavalier/80130/ Excerpts from the book “Engineering Design, a Project Based Introduction”, second edition by Clive I. Dym and Patrick Little. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ISBN 0 -471 -25687 -0 http: //www. ieee. org/portal/index. jsp? page. ID=co rp_level 1&path=about/whatis&file=code. xml&xsl =generic. xsl http: //w 3. fiu. edu/enc/Academic%20 Misconduct. htm References Wilmer Arellano © 2013

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