The Troubled Relationship Between Computers And Ethics

John Sullins, Philosophy Department, Sonoma State University

Stevenson Hall 1300
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

Computer technology presents us with uniquely challenging ethical problems. This is due to the fact that the rate of change in the power and ubiquity of computers greatly exceeds the ability of those outside of computer science to analyze and moderate the inevitable social impacts of those changes. Since the computer is a central technology that affects every one’s lives, choices computing professionals make in the design of computer systems deeply influence the way we live and interact with one another. Computer technology is designed to help us live a better life but often, what seems to computer engineers like an improvement in our lifestyle, is not perceived as such by users of that technology. Arguably what is needed to mitigate this problem is for those interested in ethics and social justice to become more computer savvy but more importantly it is crucial that students in computer science also be trained in the ethical and social impact of computing technology since they will be the ones with the real power to change society.