Ethics of Technology
Technology raises ethical questions about privacy, fairness, jobs and the environment that society must consider.
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Technology raises ethical questions about privacy, fairness, jobs and the environment that society must consider.
- Algorithms can be biased
- Automation changes jobs
- E-waste harms the environment
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Ethics of Technology?
Within Computer Science, which covers algorithms, programming, data, networks, hardware and safe, responsible use of technology, this topic explains Ethics of Technology. Computing topics explain how software, hardware and data work, with diagrams and models that show each step in order.
Check that you can explain Ethics of Technology in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Ethics of Technology helps you design, test and explain programs, websites and systems, from small projects to exam questions.
Ethics of Technology in detail
Technology raises ethical questions about what we should do with it, not only what we can do. Issues include privacy and surveillance, bias in algorithms, the effect of automation on jobs, social media's effect on wellbeing, the digital divide between people with and without access, misinformation, environmental impact and the use of AI in decisions.
Considering ethics means weighing benefits against harms, and thinking about who is affected, fairness, transparency and responsibility. Different people and cultures may take different views. Developers, companies, governments and users all have a role. Professional codes of conduct guide behaviour in computing.
How the interactive helps you understand Ethics of Technology
Click a card to flip it and reveal the answer, then move on to the next one.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Ethics of Technology.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain Ethics of Technology to someone new to computing by comparing it to a familiar process.
- Trace through a process that uses Ethics of Technology to check what it does step by step.
- Recognise Ethics of Technology in an app or device you use every day.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the term without being able to say what the computer actually does.
- Testing only the normal case and forgetting the edge cases.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Ethics of Technology
What is Ethics of Technology?
Technology raises ethical questions about privacy, fairness, jobs and the environment that society must consider.
What are the most important points about Ethics of Technology?
The main points are: Algorithms can be biased; Automation changes jobs; E-waste harms the environment.
Why is Ethics of Technology useful?
Understanding Ethics of Technology helps you design, test and explain programs, websites and systems, from small projects to exam questions.
How can I practise Ethics of Technology?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Ethics of Technology?
Related topics in Computer Science include Robotics, Spreadsheets, Embedded Systems and IoT.