IT Ethics Assignment: Reflection on IT profession’s Codes of Ethics & Codes of Conduct

Question

Task: This IT ethics assignmenttask addresses the following subject learning objectives
1. Explain the social impact of information technology and the social responsibility of IT professionals;
2. Critically review the IT profession’s Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct, and develop a personal ethical framework;
3. Describe the role of the IT professional and the legal and moral responsibility they have to that profession and society;

Reflective Essay
Choose one or more discussion topics from tutorialsand reflect on what you have learned from these discussions and relate it to your learning from the lectures, other groups’ presentations or the reading resources provided during the semester. The reflection must form a coherent and structured work. The essay must be your own thoughts and analysis. As such, use of reference sources is arbitrary.

Answer

Reflective Essay
As seen in this IT ethics assignment, there is an increasing use of technology that can be observed in every industrial and business sector. The technology has largely been beneficial for the businesses and the end-users. There are a few issues and concerns that are also associated with the technology. The aspect of ethics in IT is one of the most significant aspects as it provides the ability to comply with the standard practices and avoid the malicious intent.

Key Learnings
The learning experience provided the ability to gain knowledge and understanding on the several aspects associated with technology and ethics. One of these is the ACS Code of Ethics [1]. This is a code of conduct that has been developed to ensure that the ethical compliance is always maintained. There are six principles of ethics that could be determined during the weeks to learn about the enhanced ability to maintain ethics. There are several ethical and security violations that take place due to the primacy of the personal interests by the resources. The ACS code states that the customer interests shall be prioritized and this automatically leads to the protection of the customer trust and rights. The week enabled the learning on the other codes [2]. For example, honesty and competence are the two most prominent ethical codes. These codes provide the ability to make sure that all the stakeholders and customers are provided with the transparent information. The avoidance of the unethical measures is easily done using the code of ethics.

The learnings also included the in-depth details on the other three codes as professionalism, enhancement of quality of life, and professional development. Artificial Intelligence, AI is one of the technologies that are being increasingly used for different purposes. The use of AI can be seen in the autonomous cars and vehicles. There are ethical aspects around the use and application of AI that could be learned during the week. The self-driving cars provide the smart abilities to the passengers as these do not require the presence of driver and the constant manual operations. However, the rational decision-making of these cars is a matter of concern [3]. There are also ethical aspects associated with the use and application of the technologies like AI on the job security of the people. There are a number of jobs that are no longer required or have witnessed a considerable drop in the requirements. These are the ethical aspects that could be explored and learned during the weeks.

The learnings around the primary ethical issues and challenges along with the ethical implications of technology could also be learned during the weeks. The use of AI is often done with the numerous other technologies. These technologies also possess the similar ethical issues and dilemmas that need to be managed [4].

Personal Opinions & Thoughts
During these learning mechanisms, I got the opportunity to introspect on the ethical practices that I have personally applied and reflected. I felt motivated to make sure that there are no ethical violations in the adoption of any of the technologies. I could also determine the instances wherein ethics are compromised in the process of being technically advanced. The implementation of the innovative measures often results in the violation of the business ethics. I could understand these instances to make sure that these are not witnessed in the activities and operations that I perform as a professional [5].

Evaluation & Analysis
I had been aware of the potential positive and negative aspects that the technology can have on the individual and the business firms. However, I had not explored the ethical aspects in such detail earlier. The course enabled me to link the ethical aspects and measures with the business practices and technological innovations [6].

Earlier, I used to believe that ethical methodologies and principles are the responsibility of the business firms to get it implemented in their respective organizations. However, during the course, I could also understand the responsibility of the individuals to make sure that ethics are maintained. This is because the primary share of ethical violations occurs due to the user negligence or the selfish interests [7].

I could also evaluate and explore the aspects of technology and its impact on the individuals in terms of their job security and assurance. The possible negative and positive implications could be determined in terms of the jobs lost and the new roles that have been created with the aid of the technology [8].

Conclusion & Action Plan
There are a number of lessons around the IT and business ethics that I could gain and learn in the course. I would like to explore these aspects and would like to learn about a number of ethical theories that have been developed. The detailed knowledge of these ethical theories will enable me to differentiate between the ethical and unethical practices in an effective manner. I will also be able to apply them in my professional journey for better growth. I will be able to explore the same using the training and learning sessions. I will also attend the webinars and seminars on the topic to enhance my learning.

I also plan to take the support and assistance from the experts. This measure will allow me to understand the various real-life scenarios and aspects. Ethics is one of the most significant aspects of the business processes and activities. The ethical codes and principles, such as the ACS Code of Ethics and its principles shall be known to all the professionals. They shall be provided with the trainings on these ethical measures and practices. It will provide the mechanism to ensure that the use of the malicious practices is avoided at all times. The aspects around AI and job security were explored as well. There are some of the existing roles that have faced the negative impact of AI; however, there are also some of the newer jobs that have been created as an outcome. It is necessary that a fine balance is maintained between the ethical norms, business operations, and the technological innovations.

References
[1] K. Kernaghan, “Digital dilemmas: Values, ethics and information technology,” Canadian Public Administration, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 295–317, Jun. 2014.
[2] Morton Emanuel Winston and R. Edelbach, Society, ethics, and technology. Boston, Ma: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014.
[3] S. Jasanoff, The Ethics of invention: technology and the human future. IT ethics assignmentNew York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.
[4] H. T. Tavani, “ICT ethics bibliography 2012–2014: a select list of recent books,” Ethics and Information Technology, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 243–247, Aug. 2013.

[5] N. Patrignani and D. Whitehouse, Slow tech and ICT: a responsible, sustainable and ethical approach. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

[6] J. Allen, Primary ICT: knowledge, understanding and practice. London; Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage/Learning Matters, 2012.

[7] M. N. Gasson, E. Kosta, and D. Bowman, Human ICT implants: technical, legal and ethical considerations. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press, Springer, 2012.

[8] R. Lucas, An integrity system for ICT: incorporating ethics into industry practice. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.