Dev ethics
In this session we will think about our responsibility as Software Developers regarding larger communities and we will initiate our own Oaths that we will be able to apply in our day to day.
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In this session we will think about our responsibility as Software Developers regarding larger communities and we will initiate our own Oaths that we will be able to apply in our day to day.
Last updated
Was this helpful?
Imagine you are working for the most ethic company on earth :
You just delivered a new revolutionary product
You and your teammates are on the front page of every TV channel
You are recognized and praised on all sides
Cover – states the spectacular success accomplished by the company
Headers – reveal what the story is about
Sidebars – include parts of the report
Quotes – testimonials about the accomplishment from anyone imaginable
Images – pictures that support the cover story
Brainstorm – used for writing down ideas before starting the activity
Almost any professional whose work impacts the public must abide by some sort of ethical code of conduct.
Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” around 500 B.C. has written the famous oath which has guided the practice of medicine.
No Dev's Oath ?
Software is eating the world
Imagine a life without software : zombies ?
Phones don’t ring
Cars don’t start
Planes don’t fly
Bombs don’t explode
Money doesn’t change hands
Electricity doesn’t get generated
In our society, virtually nothing happens without the involvement of some kind of computer program.
Software is a set of rules if we think about it
Our civilization doesn’t quite realize how dependent it has become on software
How many hours do you spend on your computers, smartphones, cars each day ?
2015 : independent tests revealed that Volkswagen engineers programmed cars to cheat emissions standards
2016 : U.S. presidential election - Facebook/Twitter Epidemic of fake news, and now is inextricably linked to
2018 : Boeing 737 Max crashes because of software problems
2018 : Cambridge Analytica’s : weaponization of personal user information
Social exclusion, various environmental impacts, ....
Will things get better or worse?
Most of developers don’t ultimately feel it’s their responsibility if unethical products go live.
Are they right?
Code doesn't kill people, who does it ?
Product managers do ?
Shareholders ?
CEOs ?
Developers ?
Do we all need to be informed and responsible?
1st time in human being history that ethics, philosophy and technics are intimately bounds
AI
At a faster rate than employment policy can adjust to how this impacts on our economies and on individual livelihoods
AI are displacing jobs
Black box algorithms that replicate systemic discrimination have also been raised
Business and startups can play a huge role in designing technology that supports human society by designing software ethically.
"Nous devons être conscients des dangers, les identifier, et employer les meilleures pratiques et cadres pour nous préparer à ses conséquences bien en avance, avait-il déclaré lors d’une conférence. La montée de l’IA pourrait être la pire ou la meilleure chose qui soit jamais arrivée à l’humanité." - Stephen Hawking
Based on the breaking news : create an oath to design ethical software
Think about your current and last projects
Did they respect environment, human beings ?
Did your clients respect your own ethic ?
On which kind of projects you like to work on ?
For who you want to work ?
Which kind of environments ?
With whom ?
What do you enjoy in your work ?
Maybe different levels : Developer / Product / Client / Society
10’ en pair
5’ en groupe
5’ all together
10’ Finalization
Contribute to society and human well-being.
Programmers should work to develop computer systems that can reduce negative consequences to society, such as threats to safety and health, and that can make everyday activities and work easier.
It is “an obligation to develop to high standards”
Avoid harm to others.
Computer systems have an indirect impact on third parties.
They can cause loss of information and resources that might result severely harmful for users, the general public, or employers.
Therefore, software developers should minimize the risk of harming others due to coding errors, or security issues, by following standards to design and test systems
Be honest and trustworthy.
This principle encourages programmers to be honest and aware of their limitations in knowledge and education when writing computer systems.
Also, if a programmer knows there is something wrong with a computer system, he or she should report it immediately to avoid undesirable consequences
Watch his video :
5 principles of software ethics – Steven Wilmott
The programmer’s Oath – Uncle Bob
A Code of Ethics for (Agile) Software Developers ? - Christiaan Verwijs
Ethical codes only work when they are embraced by the majority of developers and become a part of educational training.
