Computer Aided Design And Ethics
A.K.A. The Road To Hell Was Paved
With Good Intention
Use of Spreadsheets with Autocad in Architecture and Construction
The symbiotic relationship that Excel enjoys with Autocad enables cross-functioning commands. One in particular is the ability to change the values of a table in Autocad by virtue of a Excel spreadsheet. An excellent example of this function was demonstrated by Bechbache and Aubrey in their seminar lab. [1]
How a Combined Excel and Autocad Function Can Have Far Reaching Effects on Humanity
Association for Computing Machinery:Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
General Moral Imperatives
Principle 1.1 : Contribute to society and human well-being.
This principle concerning the quality of life of all people affirms an obligation to protect fundamental human rights and to respect the diversity of all cultures. An essential aim of computing professionals is to minimize negative consequences of computing systems, including threats to health and safety. When designing or implementing systems, computing professionals must attempt to ensure that the products of their efforts will be used in socially responsible ways, will meet social needs, and will avoid harmful effects to health and welfare.
In addition to a safe social environment, human well-being includes a safe natural environment. Therefore, computing professionals who design and develop systems must be alert to, and make others aware of, any potential damage to the local or global environment. [2]
Organizational Leadership Imperatives
Principle 3.1 : Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities.
Because organizations of all kinds have effects on the public, they must accept responsibilities to society. Organizational procedures and attitudes oriented toward quality and the welfare of society will reduce harm to members of the public, thereby serving public interest and fulfilling social responsibility. Therefore,organizational leaders must encourage full participation in meeting social responsibilities as well as quality performance. [2]
The august body of individuals that constitute the committee members of Association of Computing Machinery created a voluntary code of ethics for it's membership and being based firmly in the realm of common sense, it is sage advice for many other professional disciplines.
However, both Principles 1.1 and 3.1 as detailed in the captions will be keystones in this unfolding discussion. I will seek to prove how a seemingly innocuous function as part of a productivity software program can have far reaching and quantifiable devastating consequences for humanity. It must be brought to the reader's attention at this juncture though, this singular function has little effect on its own per Se. It has to be viewed from the collective perspective of similar labour saving functions in similar allegedly essential productivity software programs so that the all-encompassing effect can be seen in its entirety. This has all the attributes, metaphorically speaking, of the “Chaos Theory” [3], as expounded by Lorenz in his paper :
Predictability: Does the flap of a butterfly's wing in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas ?
It has been well documented that, starting in the late 1980's, the development of readily affordable CAD programs that could run on personal computers began a massive downsizing in draughting departments in many small to mid-size companies. As a general rule, one CAD operator could readily replace at least three to five draughtsmen using traditional methods. Additionally because of the reduced skill set required to produce engineering drawings, many engineers with suitable training were able to undertake their own CAD work, further eliminating the need for traditional draughting departments. The trend mirrored that of the elimination of many office jobs performed by a secretary, word processors, spreadsheets, databases and administrational applications, became standard software packages that “everyone” had to learn.
Because of ongoing development and operating efficiencies, relatively speaking, prices of CAD software and hardware have been greatly reduced, narrowing the financial advantage that larger businesses may have had in acquiring competitive CAD equipment. In fact, the greatest expense in implementing new CAD platforms, is not the purchase of licences, but the training of staff to maximise the full functionality of the equipment.
The code of ethics outlined by the ACM are worthy ideals for IT professional's aspirations, however it strikes me that this is a classic case of conflict of interest to be considered. The quandary that the ACM faces in order to uphold Principle 1.1 and 3.1 is subtle. It can be argued that if individuals are made redundant from their occupations because of new technology, a devastating blow results to any individual with all its attendant financial and social consequences. If we multiply the casualties of new technology, we begin to see the magnitude of the problem. Under present conditions, it would be both unrealistic and quite frankly, impossible to halt the technology juggernaut, steam rolling everything in its path. It would be hard to imagine the technocrats taking a more considered approach before adopting new technology, this would entail the possibility of repressing advances in technology, such a Luddite stance would be inconceivable. It would strike to the very core of their being, their raison d'etre.
If we search through the annals of history, there have been precedents, the Industrial Revolution [4] in Great Britain being a good example :
“The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th and 19th century where major changes in agricultural, manufacturing, mining and transport had a profound effect on the socio-economic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently sped through Europe, North America and eventually the world. The onset of the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in human history, almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way”.
As the saying goes “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it” [5]
I believe that one significant issue consistently is relevant in all the topics thus far discussed; this being the dispensibility of humans, in this specific case IT professionals being superseded by new technology, electronics and the ubiquitous silicon chip.
Joy's aptly named article “Why the future doesn't need us” [6], paints a bleak scenario awaiting mankind to secumb, which seems to lurch headlong into the realm of infeasibility. An undertaking possibly fuelled by poetic licence or the need to inject a degree of sensationalism ( or perhaps a bit of both). In this view, society will descend to such a level of dependence on machines (technology), in which an elite group controls the machines ( it is important to remember that these are machines after all, whose logic is based on the binary system; and no amount of Artificial Intelligence will ever enable machines to reverse their subservient role), whereas, the rest of the population just exists, because technology has made them superfluous, serving no useful purpose at all. Nature has a cruel but effective method of dealing with those species that have been marginalised: it's known as extinction, all part of the evolutionary process.
In conclusion, a heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders on those that make the decisions that cause the implementation of new technology, the cost/benefit ratio has to viewed not from the perspective of the bottom line but also from the socio-economic consequences as well. This cause/effect ratio has to be applied to the decision-making process. If there is no discernible population to benefit from technology, what is the point of the exercise ?
In the immortal words of Star Trek's Spock “it's life Jim, but not as we know it”
References
[1] Michael Bechbache, Cecil Aubrey, Excel Seminar, [online document], [2009 October]
[cited 2009 October 25th], Available http://online.algonquincollege.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_205951_1&frame=top&bsession=161564951&bsession_str=session_id%3D161564951,user_id_pk1%3D,user_id_sos_id_pk2%3D,one_time_token%3D&bsession_md5=DA9F105E3C5DE5104D4FA10805913227
[2] Association For Computer Machinery "Code of Ethics", [On-line document], [1992 October], [cited 2009 October 25th],
Available http://www.acm.org/about/code-of-ethics
[3] Chaos Theory – Wikipedia, [on-line document], [2009 October], [cited 2009 October 25th],
Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory
[4] Industrial Revolution - Wikipedia, [on-line document], [2009 October],
[cited 2009 October], Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution
[5] Quote – WikiAnswers, [ on-line document], [2009], [cited 2009 October 25th]
Available http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_said_Those_who_ignore_history_are_bound_to_repeat_it
[6] Bill Joy, “Why the future doesn't need us”, [2000 April], [cited 2009 October 25th]
Available http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html
Last Update: December 10th, 2009
