•  142
    Self-Driving Cars and Engineering Ethics: The Need for a System Level Analysis
    with Jason Borenstein and Joseph R. Herkert
    Science and Engineering Ethics 25 (2): 383-398. 2019.
    The literature on self-driving cars and ethics continues to grow. Yet much of it focuses on ethical complexities emerging from an individual vehicle. That is an important but insufficient step towards determining how the technology will impact human lives and society more generally. What must complement ongoing discussions is a broader, system level of analysis that engages with the interactions and effects that these cars will have on one another and on the socio-technical systems in which they…Read more
  •  113
    Un-making artificial moral agents
    with Deborah G. Johnson
    Ethics and Information Technology 10 (2-3): 123-133. 2008.
    Floridi and Sanders, seminal work, “On the morality of artificial agents” has catalyzed attention around the moral status of computer systems that perform tasks for humans, effectively acting as “artificial agents.” Floridi and Sanders argue that the class of entities considered moral agents can be expanded to include computers if we adopt the appropriate level of abstraction. In this paper we argue that the move to distinguish levels of abstraction is far from decisive on this issue. We also ar…Read more
  •  113
    The ethics of designing artificial agents
    with Frances S. Grodzinsky and Marty J. Wolf
    Ethics and Information Technology 10 (2-3): 115-121. 2008.
    In their important paper “Autonomous Agents”, Floridi and Sanders use “levels of abstraction” to argue that computers are or may soon be moral agents. In this paper we use the same levels of abstraction to illuminate differences between human moral agents and computers. In their paper, Floridi and Sanders contributed definitions of autonomy, moral accountability and responsibility, but they have not explored deeply some essential questions that need to be answered by computer scientists who desi…Read more
  •  81
    Review of Information Technology and Moral Philosophy (review)
    with Bethany J. Spielman
    Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology 2 (3). 2008.
  •  79
    Developing artificial agents worthy of trust: “Would you buy a used car from this artificial agent?” (review)
    with F. S. Grodzinsky and M. J. Wolf
    Ethics and Information Technology 13 (1): 17-27. 2011.
    There is a growing literature on the concept of e-trust and on the feasibility and advisability of “trusting” artificial agents. In this paper we present an object-oriented model for thinking about trust in both face-to-face and digitally mediated environments. We review important recent contributions to this literature regarding e-trust in conjunction with presenting our model. We identify three important types of trust interactions and examine trust from the perspective of a software developer…Read more
  •  58
    The ethics of designing artificial agents
    with S. Grodzinsky Frances and J. Wolf Marty
    Ethics and Information Technology 10 (2-3): 112-121. 2008.
    In their important paper “Autonomous Agents”, Floridi and Sanders use “levels of abstraction” to argue that computers are or may soon be moral agents. In this paper we use the same levels of abstraction to illuminate differences between human moral agents and computers. In their paper, Floridi and Sanders contributed definitions of autonomy, moral accountability and responsibility, but they have not explored deeply some essential questions that need to be answered by computer scientists who desi…Read more
  •  53
    This “Ethical Trap” Is for Roboticists, Not Robots: On the Issue of Artificial Agent Ethical Decision-Making
    with Marty J. Wolf and Frances Grodzinsky
    Science and Engineering Ethics 23 (2): 389-401. 2017.
    In this paper we address the question of when a researcher is justified in describing his or her artificial agent as demonstrating ethical decision-making. The paper is motivated by the amount of research being done that attempts to imbue artificial agents with expertise in ethical decision-making. It seems clear that computing systems make decisions, in that they make choices between different options; and there is scholarship in philosophy that addresses the distinction between ethical decisio…Read more
  •  38
    The Boeing 737 MAX: Lessons for Engineering Ethics
    with Joseph Herkert and Jason Borenstein
    Science and Engineering Ethics 26 (6): 2957-2974. 2020.
    The crash of two 737 MAX passenger aircraft in late 2018 and early 2019, and subsequent grounding of the entire fleet of 737 MAX jets, turned a global spotlight on Boeing’s practices and culture. Explanations for the crashes include: design flaws within the MAX’s new flight control software system designed to prevent stalls; internal pressure to keep pace with Boeing’s chief competitor, Airbus; Boeing’s lack of transparency about the new software; and the lack of adequate monitoring of Boeing by…Read more
  •  33
    Developing Automated Deceptions and the Impact on Trust
    with Frances S. Grodzinsky and Marty J. Wolf
    Philosophy and Technology 28 (1): 91-105. 2015.
    As software developers design artificial agents , they often have to wrestle with complex issues, issues that have philosophical and ethical importance. This paper addresses two key questions at the intersection of philosophy and technology: What is deception? And when is it permissible for the developer of a computer artifact to be deceptive in the artifact’s development? While exploring these questions from the perspective of a software developer, we examine the relationship of deception and t…Read more
  •  33
    Critiquing a critique
    Science and Engineering Ethics 14 (2): 245-249. 2008.
  •  19
    Information systems ethics – challenges and opportunities
    with Simon Rogerson, Jenifer Sunrise Winter, and David Larson
    Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 17 (1): 87-97. 2019.
    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical issues surrounding information systems practice with a view to encouraging greater involvement in this aspect of IS research. Information integrity relies upon the development and operation of computer-based information systems. Those who undertake the planning, development and operation of these information systems have obligations to assure information integrity and overall to contribute to the public good. This ethical dimension of i…Read more
  •  18
    Ethics in the IT Classroom
    with David Larson
    Journal of Information Ethics 18 (2): 38-49. 2009.
  •  16
    Yes, but … our response to: “professional ethics in the information age”
    with Donald Gotterbarn
    Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 15 (4): 357-361. 2017.
    Purpose This short viewpoint is a response to a lead paper on professional ethics in the information age. This paper aims to draw upon the authors’ experience of professional bodies such as the ACM over many years. Points of agreement and disagreement are highlighted with the aim of promoting wider debate. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of the lead paper is undertaken using a binary agree/disagree approach. This highlights the conflicting views which can then be considered in more detai…Read more
  •  15
    Angels and artifacts: Moral agents in the age of computers and networks
    with David Larson
    Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 3 (3): 151-157. 2005.
    Traditionally, philosophers have ascribed moral agency almost exclusively to humans. Early writing about moral agency can be traced to Aristotle and Aquinas. In addition to human moral agents, Aristotle discussed the possibility of moral agency of the Greek gods and Aquinas discussed the possibility of moral agency of angels. In the case of angels, a difficulty in ascribing moral agency was that it was suspected that angels did not have enough independence from God to ascribe to the angels genui…Read more
  •  14
    Free, source-code-available, or proprietary: an ethically charged, context-sensitive choice
    with Marty J. Wolf and Frances S. Grodzinsky
    Acm Sigcas Computers and Society 39 (1): 15-26. 2009.
    We demonstrate that different categories of software raise different ethical concerns with respect to whether software ought to be Free Software or Proprietary Software. We outline the ethical tension between Free Software and Proprietary Software that stems from the two kinds of licenses. For some categories of software we develop support for normative statements regarding the software development landscape. We claim that as society's use of software changes, the ethical analysis for that categ…Read more
  •  12
    All hands on deck for ACM Ethics
    with Bo Brinkman, Don Gotterbarn, and Marty J. Wolf
    Acm Sigcas Computers and Society 46 (3): 5-8. 2016.
    The Association for Computing Machinery's Committee on Professional Ethics has been charged to execute three major projects over the next two years: updating ACM's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, revising the enforcement procedures for the Code, and developing new media to promote integrity in the profession. We cannot do this alone, and we are asking SIGCAS members to volunteer and get involved. We will briefly describe the rationale and plan behind these projects and describe opportun…Read more
  •  9
    There’s something in your eye: ethical implications of augmented visual field devices
    with Marty J. Wolf and Frances S. Grodzinsky
    Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 14 (3): 214-230. 2016.
    Purpose This paper aims to explore the ethical and social impact of augmented visual field devices, identifying issues that AVFDs share with existing devices and suggesting new ethical and social issues that arise with the adoption of AVFDs. Design/methodology/approach This essay incorporates both a philosophical and an ethical analysis approach. It is based on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, philosophical notions of transparency and presence and human values including psychological well-being, ph…Read more
  •  9
    Applying a Social-Relational Model to Explore the Curious Case of hitchBOT
    with Marty Wolf and Frances Grodzinsky
    In Matteo Vincenzo D'Alfonso & Don Berkich (eds.), On the Cognitive, Ethical, and Scientific Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence, Springer Verlag. pp. 311-323. 2019.
    This paper applies social-relational models of moral standing of robots to cases where the encounters between the robot and humans are relatively brief. Our analysis spans the spectrum of non-social robots to fully-social robots. We consider cases where the encounters are between a stranger and the robot and do not include its owner or operator. We conclude that the developers of robots that might be encountered by other people when the owner is not present cannot wash their hands of responsibil…Read more