How Can Moral Responsibility Be Ascribed to Computer System - Research Proposal Example

Proposal For Post Graduate Dissertation TOPIC How can moral responsibility be ascribed to computer systems? BY xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Supervisor xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Module Leader xxxxxxxxxx School Of Engineering and Information Sciences Middlesex University Table of Contents 1.    Study area Review    3 3.    Research Questions    7 4.    Research Aim      7 5.    Research Objectives    7 6.    Research Design 7 7.    Research Methodology   8 8.    Deliverables  8 9. References 9 1.    Study area Review    A computer system from a simple point of view is a computer that is fully able to perform its various functions with the inclusion of software and other devices (Shelly et al., 2011; Verma, 2009). This is the reason why a computer for instance, requires an operating system in order to perform its respective functions based on its intended design. Aside from this, a computer system is only helpful if its functions well and with ample amount of security. By this, it has a system that works the way it is as it is expected to work that way and be much reliable (Bace, 2000, p.29; Forester and Morrison, 1993). In other words, a computer system is created to maximise its benefits. We can actually see this happening now. Below are some actual observations we can associate with a computer system and its various benefits it offers to the humanity. Today, wherever we go, we always encounter highly systematic and computerized services, gadgets and other related technologies. Starting with our private and personal needs, many of them are now integrated with computer systems. Our mobile phones for instance, are designed with high ability to function based on a complex computerised system. Mobile phones for instance, have been revolutionised into smartphones with various features aside from their basic functions. With smartphones, we can connect to the whole world; extend our social networks and make it live wherever we go; we can shop in abundance or initiate business and conduct other related transactions; we can download and upload almost everything at anytime with all convenience and more. These are just some added features we can encounter with a highly innovative smartphones today aside from the very basic features of calling and sending or receiving short message service (SMS). For online access, we can even connect it anytime and almost everywhere to Wi-Fi zones and fast-speed internet broadband connections, which also perform at their best via assistance of a computer system. In addition to meeting our personal needs, the design of musical gadget such as iPods can play music and do more complex tasks with the use of simple features and commands, all are made possible because of intricate and powerful design of a working computer system. Furthermore, we can withdraw and transfer money from anywhere because of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) working online, 24 hours a day in a week, which allow us to insert our ATM cards designed to function in perfect compatibility with various banking machines. In fact, our banking transactions can even be made more complex as one could now initiate cross-banking services, all because of the upgraded computer system. Without any question, we now rely on a computer system our very crucial transactions like these. We might be unconscious about it, but we gave in to the promise of computer system into our lives, to the extent that we trust that our confidentiality will have a high value of assurance. In fact, various businesses offering service and product offerings are now depending their entire transactions on a computer system in order to meet the demand for more convenience, profitability and tough competition for gaining competitive advantage. As the world transforms and as the lifestyles of many change, we tend to rely on the capability of a computer system in order to aid our life for convenience and other substantial benefits it could possibly offer us. In addition, for various health services, we also depend on computerized system even the actual status of our well-being. Machines nowadays can detect our actual health conditions. They could also analyse various forms of medical conditions, medical samples or specimens and other complex details about the human body. We trust all of these in a working computerized system that we believe could give us substantial information about things that we might not be able to experience from the past. We unconsciously give our assurance or comfort to what the technologies can offer our health, especially those that involved complex computer system. Now we are looking forward to the possibility that what we can do with our technology with complex computer system this moment could be more beyond we can imagine today in the future. There were rumours about the plan to implement military drones in fighting wars by America (The New York Times, 2012). There is also recent news about Robots to soon begin teaching students in schools (Howe, 2012). Recently, the robot Rover Curiosity captures views and particular details from Mars and send them back to earth (Yahoo News, 2012), which is made possible through a highly computerised system. In the discovery of stem cells, restoring the hearing of deaf gerbils was made possible (Palma, 2012), which was due to the aid of computerised laboratory equipments, ensuring the complex details of samples involved to be magnified even though with high complexity engaged. In other words, there could be more advanced scientific breakthroughs in the future, which could become possible because of the potential aid of a computer system. These are just some of the potential promise of integrating computer system to various fields and area or body of knowledge and to the humanity in general. The impacts are indeed promising as we can substantially tell among ourselves today that the advancement of technology especially on those that require a computer system became so powerful in changing our lives. So we placed a substantial level of appreciation and to the extent our trust in almost all innovations that are bringing promise to the humanity especially those technologies integrated with computer system. 2.    Problem Definition  Knowing the fact that technologies backed with complex computer systems are also susceptible to mistakes, up to want extent do we need to rely on them? Where should we draw the line to make humans to take high responsibility when computer system generates mistakes? Way back couples of months this year, the NatWest bank error was a very controversial issue because it involved a specific case about mistakes in the bank’s computer system resulting to wrong postings of thousands of account holders’ bank transactions (BBC News, 2012). The bank blamed the machine and computer system for the incident, which makes it hard to draw the line to make humans responsible for the incident, as the computer system did very well from the past. In the middle of this year, Sport’s international leaders approved the adoption of Goal-line Technology in order to know if a ball crosses the goal line (Bell, 2012). This technology with the integration of computer system requires 100 percent accuracy. However, knowing the fact that the computer systems are susceptible to mistakes, the level of accuracy cannot be totally relied on them, as they might also fail to tell what exactly is accurate. In the same way, it would be hard to make humans responsible, as in the future justifications will prevail and they would all boil down to automation mistakes. Automation therefore keeps on advancing, which gives more power to machines as we also see their potential promises and benefits to the humanity. However, in the event of their mistakes, humans cannot personally put the blame on them. Perhaps, since we are the ones who created them, the computer systems’ probable mistakes in the future can be attributed to human errors like poor quality and wrongful estimation. Now the point is, if machines or computer systems cannot be blamed in the event of their mistakes, then we should not give more power on them. However, since they also show remarkable advantages and potentials, as stated earlier, it is hard not to give more power on them too. In this project, I intend to investigate the causes of failures of computer systems and if they can be attributed to human errors. If these errors can be attributed to humans, then I also want to explore where we could be held responsible for such failures. By doing this research, I would be able to extend key ideas that could be contributed to policy making or laws that embody automation, which would concern the moral responsibility humans should bear in the event of computer systems errors.         3.    Research Questions    The questions this dissertation will answer are: What causes failures of computer systems? What are indicators of these computer system failures that can be attributed to human errors? 4.    Research Aim      The aim of this project is to investigate the probable causes of computer system failures and to know further if these can be attributed to human mistakes, which could help us identify the line at which level humans could be responsible and up to what point we should give power on computer system. 5.    Research Objectives    To conduct a literature review on computer system failures. To identify cases of computer system failures. To identify cases of computer system failures in which there were clear inclusions of human mistakes                 6.    Research Design The research design is based on a literature and case analysis of computer system failures that could either be attributed to technology or human error. The figure below describes the research design. 7.    Research Methodology   The research methodology will be based on qualitative secondary data, which will be obtained from reviewed literature and existing cases of computer system failures. The proponent will therefore analyse various cases and will find for actual indicators of either human or technology mistakes for the associated computer system failure. 8.    Deliverables  For this project, the following deliverables would be expected: Formal Proposal (Hard copy Document). Intended Schedule – Gantt Chart. Literature Review Final Report – about 15,000 words (Hard copy and CD-ROM Documents). 9. References Bace, R. G. (2000) Intrusion Detection. Indianapolis: Sams Publishing. BBC News (2012) Nationwide and NatWest accounts ‘fixed after errors’. [online]. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19009719 [Accessed: 21st October 2012]. Bell, J. (2012) Soccer to Adopt Goal-Line Technology. [online]. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/sports/soccer/soccer-to-adopt-goal-line-technology.html?_r=0 [Accessed: 21st October 2012]. Forester, T., and Morrison, P. (1993) Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing. 2nd ed. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Howe, M. (2012) Lego robots teach students in hope of filling hi-tech skills gap. [online]. Retrieved from: http://www.mining.com/lego-robots-teach-students-about-mining-in-hope-of-filling-skills-shortage-27134/ [Accessed: 21st October 2012]. Palma, A. (2012) Stem cells could treat deafness. [online]. Available from: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/332730 [Accessed: 21st October 2012]. Shelly, G. B., Vermaat, M. E., Quasney, J. J., Sebok, S. L., and Freund, S. M. (2011) Discovering Computers: Your Interactive Guide to the Digital World, Complete. Boston: Cengage Learning. The New York Times (2012) Predator Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). [online]. Retrieved from: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/u/unmanned_aerial_vehicles/index.html [Accessed: 21st October 2012]. Verma, D. C. (2009) Principles of Computer Systems and Network Management. York Town Heights: Springer. Yahoo News (2012) Curiosity Rover Digs Up Shiny Particles on Mars. [online]. Retrieved from: http://news.yahoo.com/curiosity-rover-digs-shiny-particles-mars-141427893.html [Accessed: 21st October 2012]. Read More