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On the Complex Relationship Between ICT Systems and the Planet
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Technology, Division of Visual Information and Interaction. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Technology, Computerized Image Analysis and Human-Computer Interaction.
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Technology, Division of Visual Information and Interaction. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Technology, Computerized Image Analysis and Human-Computer Interaction.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3806-5216
2018 (English)In: This Changes Everything –ICT and Climate Change: What Can We Do? / [ed] David Kreps, Charles Ess, Louise Leenen, Kai Kimppa, Springer, 2018, p. 181-187Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This paper addresses the challenges of designing sustainable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems. The complexity of ICT systems, the number of stakeholders involved (technology providers, policymakers, users, etc.), and the extension and global scale of ICT supply chain are the main challenges at the core of the complex relationship between ICT systems and the planet Earth. ICT offer an opportunity for an exchange between matter-energy and information: the better use of information offers the greatopportunity for decreasing the environmental impact of human activities by decreasing the matter and energy consumption. But, on the other side, like anyhuman activity, the design, production, use, and disposal of complex ICT systems,has as a consequence a growth in entropy. This intriguing dilemma is one of the most difficult challenges in front of designers, ICT companies, users, and policy makers. This paper concentrates on the designers, the engineers’ dilemmas: what are the ethical competences, the skills, the methods for addressing these complex ethical dilemmas? Among the many ethical approaches, the“virtue/future ethics” is proposed as a core ethical competence for the designers and engineers of the future.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2018. p. 181-187
Series
IFIP AICT, ISSN 1868-4238, E-ISSN 868-422X ; 537
Keywords [en]
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Entropy, Future ethics, Fairphone, Slow tech
National Category
Human Computer Interaction Environmental Sciences Ethics
Research subject
Human-Computer Interaction
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-360589DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-99605-9_13ISBN: 978-3-319-99604-2 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-360589DiVA, id: diva2:1248451
Conference
13th IFIP TC 9 International Conference on Human Choice and Computers, HCC13 2018. Held at the 24th IFIP World Computer Congress, WCC 2018 Poznan, Poland, September 19–21, 2018
Projects
ETHCOMPCESTAvailable from: 2018-09-14 Created: 2018-09-14 Last updated: 2020-02-02
In thesis
1. Teaching Computer Ethics: Steps towards Slow Tech, a Good, Clean, and Fair ICT
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Teaching Computer Ethics: Steps towards Slow Tech, a Good, Clean, and Fair ICT
2020 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are critically impacting society and the environment. They are now an integral part of the challenges posed by the current Anthropocene era. To help in facing these enormous challenges, the entire ICT supply chain (from design to development, manufacturing, usage, deployment, and disposal) should take into account the three dimensions of social desirability, environmental sustainability, and ethical acceptability. In this thesis these concepts are proposed as a joint requirement for a new approach to ICT and with a more precise focus: a good, clean, and fair ICT. A good ICT is designed with a human-centred approach, a clean ICT is environmentally sustainable and minimizes the impact on the planet, and a fair ICT takes into account the working conditions of people along the entire supply-chain. These characteristics represent a triple condition that in this thesis is called Slow Tech (inspired by the Slow Food movement that uses good, clean, and fair with reference to food).

Among the many stakeholders of the ICT world, this thesis concentrates on the engineers, the designers of the complex systems (hardware, software, networks) that are shaping our society: in short, computer professionals. They usually work inside organizations and companies, but their skills, competencies, and professional code of ethics are the sources of fundamental design choices. In particular, this thesis identifies ethics as one of the new competencies needed by the next generation of computer professionals and, strongly related to it, complementing their university education with a subject that, for simplicity, will be referred as "Computer Ethics". Two fundamental questions are: how can this requirement for an ethical competence be fulfilled? How can universities prepare the next generation of computer professionals so that they are "ethically grounded"? This grounding in teaching and training is the main reason for the overall title of this thesis: "Teaching Computer Ethics". The main point of this thesis is that the reflections stimulated by the analysis of the ICT stakeholders' network and the use of the three Slow Tech questions are two important tools for improving the ethical skills and competencies of computer professionals. The methodology and my empirical experience of teaching Computer Ethics at the Politecnico of Torino described in this thesis provides interesting results in this direction.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2020. p. 78
Series
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology, ISSN 1651-6214 ; 1903
Keywords
Teaching, Computer Ethics, Slow Tech
National Category
Computer and Information Sciences
Research subject
Computer Science with specialization in Human-Computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-403686 (URN)978-91-513-0872-2 (ISBN)
Public defence
2020-09-04, itc2446, Lägerhyddsvägen 2, Uppsala, 13:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

Public defence via Zoom: https://uu-se.zoom.us/j/67671913201      Meeting passcode: 168840

Available from: 2020-03-03 Created: 2020-02-02 Last updated: 2020-09-08

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Patrignani, NorbertoKavathatzopoulos, Iordanis

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