8 - Ethics in the Workplace & AI Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are the central ethical concerns in workplace environments?
- Obedience to authority
- Conformity to workplace norms
- Role-following vs personal values
- Whistleblowing and moral courage
What does moral distance mean in the workplace?
When individuals feel removed from the consequences of their actions because tasks are fragmented or abstract — common in large organisations and bureaucracies.
How does surveillance affect workplace ethics?
Constant monitoring (e.g., email tracking, productivity apps) erodes trust, autonomy, and privacy — creating a climate of fear and discouraging ethical reflection.
What ethical risks does role-following create at work?
mployees prioritise obedience and performance over ethics, leading to harmful decisions being made without personal responsibility — “I was just doing my job.”
What is the ethical tension for whistleblowers?
Whistleblowers must choose between loyalty to the organisation and responsibility to a broader ethical duty — often facing retaliation or isolation.
How can companies support ethical workplaces?
- Promote ethical training beyond rule-following
- Create safe channels for dissent
- Value moral reasoning in performance evaluation
What are the main ethical issues raised by AI in business?
- Algorithmic bias
- Lack of transparency (black-box systems)
- Loss of human accountability
- Ethical disengagement from decisions made by machines
What is algorithmic bias?
When AI systems reproduce or amplify existing social prejudices due to biased data, flawed models, or lack of oversight. (Face ID less accurate for coloured faces)
Why is AI problematic for ethics and responsibility?
Decisions may be automated, but accountability is unclear — who is morally responsible when AI makes unethical choices?
How does AI extend moral distance in organisations?
AI decisions seem neutral or technical, allowing users to defer moral judgment — “the system made the decision” becomes a moral shield
What is “ethical outsourcing” in AI contexts?
When humans delegate ethical decisions to algorithms, avoiding personal moral responsibility — e.g., AI firing systems, automated loan rejections.
Why is rule-based ethics insufficient for AI?
AI operates in unpredictable, complex environments where no fixed rule can anticipate every ethical scenario — mirrors Derrida’s “undecidability.”
What is the problem with “ethics by design” approaches in AI?
Embedding values in code may give a false sense of security. Ethical issues often arise from how AI is used, not just its design.
How can ethical thinking improve AI governance?
- Involve diverse stakeholders in design
- Make algorithms transparent and auditable
- Keep humans in decision loops
- Train users in ethical reflection, not just compliance
How does this lecture connect to earlier topics?
- Extends Bauman & Arendt: AI increases moral distance
- Reflects Levinas: AI removes face-to-face ethical encounters
- Challenges Kantian & rule-based models: AI requires moral judgement beyond rules
