Amid an increased focus on the importance of ethical practice in IT among members of the professional ICT community, the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) has released a short video to illustrate just how important ethics in ICT is.
“Acknowledging that all people are stakeholders in our digital environment and that the work that we do should contribute positively to society, be fair, and take action to avoid harm or discrimination, the IITPSA stresses the importance of responsible and ethical practice,” says Josine Overdevest, IITPSA Social & Ethics Committee Chair.
“The IITPSA Code of Ethics asks IT professionals to pause and reflect, engaging with stakeholders whenever possible, to ensure that the design, development, and deployment of their crucial work is done responsibly and respectfully.
“With this video, we aim to raise awareness of the Code and initiate conversations about what applying its principles means for daily IT practice,” Overdevest says.
“We live in times of rapid technological advancement and it is exciting to see how digital solutions make life better for people and our planet,” she continues. “Already, they have benefitted 70% of the 169 targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and play a pivotal role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“However, the fast pace of digital development can lead us to overlook its harmful side effects such as the widening digital divide and the increasing carbon and e-waste footprint.”
Bryan Baxter, IITPSA SIGCyber committee member and CRO Sales of Wolfpack Information Risk, adds: “I embrace the use of AI and see it as augmenting my work, helping me to be more effective. These new technologies provide many opportunities. Good work on their ethical adoption is being done by technology giants and leading organisations. One example is The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.”
On the other hand, he continues: “What comes after the information age? Futurists predict mankind will evolve beyond the need to work. Work will be done by computers and robots. This will be powered by the technologies emerging today: AI, robotics, cloud, and quantum computing. One scenario has people enjoying life ‘glued’ to their Augmented Reality face masks.”
So what can ICT professionals do about the risks?
“It is up to us to each make a difference where we can by understanding these emerging technologies and ensuring that they are used responsibly,” says Baxter. “The impact of implementing new technologies should be considered as well as any potential risks.”
He says the IITPSA Code of Ethics provides good guidance. It urges members to contribute to society and to human well-being, acknowledging that all people are stakeholders in computing. It also highlights the importance of avoiding harm, being fair, and taking action not to discriminate – respecting the work required to produce new ideas, inventions, creative works, and computing artifacts, respecting privacy, and honouring confidentiality.
“The IITPSA professional responsibilities guidelines encourage us to ‘foster public awareness and understanding of computing, related technologies, and their consequences’,” Baxter says.
To view the IITPSA Ethics in IT video, click here