Cautionary tales and the impact of computers on society

Abstract

The use of cautionary tales to inculcate appropriate professional moral standards into professionals in various fields is described, and application to computer science professionals is suggested. The wider moral aspects of the computer's impact on society are then discussed.Because the computer gives us fundamentally new power, we are faced with decisions for which our experiences may give little guidance. The danger of applying old standards to a fundamentally new situation is well illustrated by the law, passed soon after the production of the first automobiles, which required automobiles traveling the roads to be preceded by a man on foot carrying a red flag. This law reduced danger, but robbed the auto of its intrinsic power.Similarly we could stop one type of computer crime by outlawing electronic fund transfer, or prevent a potentially dangerous accumulation of governmental power by outlawing the interconnection of computers storing different sets of information about individuals, or prevent robots from taking workers' jobs by outlawing robotization. It is possible to respond to every danger by cutting off the power that leads to that danger. But it is more productive to respond by analyzing the particular situation in order to determine whether our fundamental values are better served by changing our expectations or rules than by denying ourselves the use of the power. Such an analysis requires some understanding both of the problems which may be caused in our society by the computer and of the nature of our values.This paper begins with some computerization problems that are essentially problems of inculcating the proper professional morals into computer professionals (and into those amateurs who are deeply involved with computers). We point out that other professions inculcate professional moral standards by the use of cautionary tales, and we indicate how the computer profession can develop the cautionary tales it needs. We then turn to the problems to the computer's impact on society, discussing some of the issues that must be addressed if the negative impacts of computerization are to be minimized.