Ethical Dilemma 9
To what extent do you think it is appropriate to replace the human decision-making process with the computer technologies such as expert systems?
There are things that are needed to consider when to use the expert systems in a business operation with today’s existing computer technologies. The consequences of expert system, which acts on their own or someone else’s behalf actions are summarized in this relevant questions. Do the consequences benefit the user- that is, are they in the user’s interests? Do the consequences disadvantage the user? Do the consequences benefit a third party? If the benefits are for a third arty, who is the third party - example: government or commercial enterprises?
During the conversation Patricia asked the bank manager whether she felt that it was appropriate for the expert system to be empowered in this way. The response she obtained was that it was a great idea because computers do not make mistakes. What do you think about this comment? Do computers make mistakes? Is any computerized system free from mistakes?
Programmers, being human, are always liable to make mistakes. Computers, being machines, occasionally develop some fault or other. A programmer may make a mistake either in writing out the machine code or in a wrong analysis of the situation on which the program was based. A computer cannot make a mistake as long as it is programmed correctly. For the most part, computers do not make mistakes. They generally output answers based on the input given. If the input is wrong, the output can be wrong.
Should we be educating people to believe that computers are infallible? What do you think are the ramifications of believing in infallible computerized systems?
People must know that computers are infallible and how it helps the business process especially the expert system. This kind of technology is useful to people but not to everyone. As mentioned above, there are relevant questions to be considered. The ramifications of believing in infallible computerized systems would be first, it would grow as the modern company and any business process adopts this kind of technology. Expert system would only decide on what instruction given to it so user cannot do something else about the output given by the machine unless the person who has the authority will give the user another option just like in the situation of Patricia.
According to our professor, every process is not needed to be automated. His example given was about the advising process during the enrollment. There are consideration’s made by the faculty which will not be given to a student if the advising will be automated because the machine that will do this will just do the thing that is given to it. The same in the situation of Patricia, in which the bank she decided to open her bank account uses automated system or the expert system which acts on its own. The fault was her long stay outside the UK that’s why she wasn’t passed since it is required given by the system created for the bank.
Ethical Dilemma 8
Consider Alice, who is a staff member in a computer science department in New Zealand. She applies for a job at a university in the UK and is invited to travel to the UK for three-hour interview. Thus, Alice will have to fly some ten thousand miles each way in order to be present for three hours at the interview. Let us suppose that you are heading the interview committee in the UK, and are therefore Alice's primary point of contact, Alice send you an e-mail asking whether it would be possible for her to be interviewed using video conferencing facilities. She points out that this will not only save her a huge amount of flying time (at least 20 hours each way), buy also who will alleviate stress and furthermore - as she mentions - avoiding long-haul journey that are not absolutely necessary has a positive impact on the environment. in this respect she points out the significant amount of fuel that will be burnt in transporting her from New Zealand to the UK and on her return journey. She has access to high-quality video conferencing facilities and so does your university in the UK.
You bring this situation to the attention of other members of the interview committee, your head of department, and the like -- but find that nobody is particularly willing to make use of video conferencing facilities. This surprises you, especially as after all you are working in a computer science /IT department and therefore had supposed that staff would have been quite willing to embrace new technologies. You mention that costs will be saved in not having to pay Alice's airfare, and also stress that this is an opportunity to make use of computer technologies to avoid negative impact on the environment(in actual fact it is surprising how much fuel is consumed in supporting Alice's round-trip-the world trip).
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What are your views on the situation? Do you feel that this highlights(even in a small way) the opportunity to reduce environmental damage by using technologies to support communication and therefore avoid unnecessary travel?Do you believe that people should be willing to adapt to the use of such videoconferencing technologies -- is this ethical issue? Given a willingness to adapt is it possible to interview process can be carried out in such way as to overcome the possible deficiencies of the technology -- so that the candidate is not disadvantaged by not being physically present, and also provide the interview committee with the opportunity to gain a clear impression of Alice ?
1. In our analysis, we agree that this kind of highlights is an opportunity to reduce damage to environment. Stating the fact that a huge amount of fuel can be consumed for the interviewee’s round trip flight, or even the university could afford the fare for plane, let us think of the negative effect of the said particular situation. Burned fuel causes the atmosphere to reduce and make it thinner. Since the committee is involved in a high technology department, why not make use of it? If we allow a video conferencing, it will lessen the burden and the stress especially in the side of Alice. The both universities has a good access of high-quality video conferencing facilities, they can save a huge amount of money, time and effort if they agreed to use that technology. And this effect could avoid unnecessary travel and could also reduce further damage to nature.
2. We believe that people should be willing or must adapt to use the said video conferencing technologies, why? Two things comes up in the said situation, First is that people should be aware and be concerned that our planet is rapidly undergoing a climate change and experiencing a devastating works by humans. As a responsible human, we should use an idea to reduce the negative effects that can harm the environment. Two, the two universities are engaged with the use of high technology so why could they not make use of the facilities since they are have a good one in their department. This can be considered an ethical issue. It is ironic for them if they just develop and promote the use of these technologies but cannot use it as an advantage in the process of communication. The committee must adapt because they are the ones who are embracing the new technologies. As I mentioned in the first question, there is an advantage in adapting it. Let us think that today there are resume that are submitted online and messages, having an interview is also possible if and only if it has a good quality of video conferencing. The committee could gain a good and clear impression of Alice even she is not physically present.
