A Case Study for Computer Ethics in Context: The Scandal in Academia

Aimed at addressing the difficulties associated with teaching often abstract elements of technical ethics, this book is an extended fictional case study into the complexities of technology and social structures in complex organizations. Within this case study, an accidental discovery reveals that the algorithms of Professor John Blackbriar are not quite what they were purported to be. Over the course of 14 newspaper articles, a nebula of professional malpractice and ethical compromise is revealed, ultimately destroying the career of a prominent, successful academic.

The case study touches on many topics relevant to ethics and professional conduct in computer science, and on the social structures within which computer science functions. Themes range from the growing influence of generative AI to the difficulties in explaining complex technical processes to a general audience, also touching on the environmental consequences of blockchain technology and the disproportionate gender impacts of Coronavirus. Each new revelation in the case study unveils further layers of complexity and compromise, leading to new technical and social issues that need to be addressed.

Directly aimed at making ethics in the digital age accessible through the use of real-world examples, this book appeals to computer science students at all levels of the educational system, as well as making an excellent accompaniment to lecturers and course convenors alike.

Dr Michael James Heron is a senior lecturer in interaction design and has been working with ethics in computer science and in gaming for pretty much his entire career. He has seen some things.

Pauline Helen Belford is a teacher in interaction design and games and has been involved in the educational system at all levels of the curriculum for two decades. She too has seen some things.