Module 4: Ethics Flashcards
What is Normative ethics?
Normative ethics seeks to define what is right and wrong, regardless of individual opinions or cultural differences.
Name 7 common ethical problems of Data Science
- Free will and autonomy (informed consent)
- Visibility (can we opt out of having data shared, so being visible)
- Bias and discrimination
- Prediction, profiling and categorisation (amplify unfair treatment)
- Collective impacts in a system based on individual rights (all data tells a story and might have impact on people)
- Experimentation (makes users experimental subjects)
- Quantification of human life (models may change how people see themselves)
What is autonomy?
An independent desire without infringing on others’ rights
What is the problem with Terms of service?
Very one-sided and non-negotiable
Why are transparency and explainability important?
This could affect the choice of users
What are positive and negative discrimination?
Positive: favours one group
Negative: disfavours a particular group
What are redlining and reverse redlining?
Redlining: automatically disqualifying areas from service provision based on algorithmic decisionmaking about income/debt.
Reverse automatically includes areas (eg gambling)
What is the difference between responsibility and accountability?
Responsibility: Has to answer for the task
Accountability: more outcome oriented. Has to answer for the entire process.
What is Deontology?
The act itself has to be good, regardless of the consequences.
What is Consequentialism?
Looking at the cost/benefit to decide if an action is ethical. There has to be a net profit of ‘good’
What is Virtue ethics?
What would a good person do in this case? Focuses on the individual (what virtues does this person find important?)
What are different combinations of Consequentialism?
- Actual: focuses only on the actual outcome
- Maximized: Focuses on the best outcome
- Hedonism: focuses on the pleasure and pain caused by the action, nothing else
