Although it’s been posed many times, many ways, here’s a big philosophical question for information technology professionals to ponder this holiday season. Have another eggnog and ask yourself this: In our unrelenting march called progress, are we responsible for the negative effects of our work that follow in our creative wake?
Is Einstein morally or ethically responsible for Hiroshima? Before you answer yes or no, factor in the benefits of nuclear energy. Consider also that someone else would have formulated E=mc2 eventually and named it something similar—relativité or относительности.
More down to Earth, is the IT inventor liable for the downside of information technology? A handful of recent news items prompt me to raise this issue of IT moral responsibility. Read the rest of this entry »
