Is That Ethical?

People Driven Development

Morgan and Eddie delve into the complex topic of ethics in engineering leadership. They explore the four primary goals of ethical tech development: protecting people from harm, treating people fairly, enabling people to understand and challenge decisions, and safeguarding rights and freedoms. They cover frameworks such as IEEE, ACM, and IFIP's codes of ethics, biases in AI, algorithmic fairness, and practical measures like smart data retention, transparency, and accountability. The episode underscores the importance of ethical decision-making in technology and fosters a deeper understanding of how engineering leaders can navigate moral gray areas.

• (00:00) - Introduction and Episode Overview
• (00:30) - Listener's Ethical Dilemma
• (02:21) - Defining Ethics in Engineering
• (04:27) - Professional Codes of Ethics
• (06:54) - Ethical Goals in Technology
• (08:50) - Protecting People from Harm
• (12:14) - Preventative Measures and Risk Assessment
• (14:00) - Granular User Access and Auditability
• (15:00) - Data Retention and User Experience
• (16:40) - Fail-Safe Defaults and Bounded Autonomy
• (19:34) - Treating People Fairly and Addressing Bias
• (21:32) - Understanding Bias in the Workplace
• (22:56) - The Impact of Bias on Organizational Fairness
• (23:27) - Managing Bias as a Leader
• (26:44) - Algorithmic Fairness: Challenges and Solutions
• (29:16) - Tools and Frameworks for Fairness
• (31:25) - The Importance of Transparency in AI
• (32:44) - Enabling Users to Challenge AI Decisions
• (40:10) - Engineering for the Greater Good
• (40:56) - Practical Tips for Ethical Enginee