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The "10 Commandments" of the IEEE Code of Ethics

1. to accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety, health, and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;

2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data; 

4. to reject bribery in all its forms; 

5. to improve the understanding of technology; its appropriate application, and potential consequences; 

6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations; 

7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others; 

8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin; 

9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action; 

10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.f the IEEE Code of Ethics

The "24 imperatives" of the ACM COde of Ethics and Professional Conduct

1. GENERAL MORAL IMPERATIVES. As an ACM member I will . . .

1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being.

1.2 Avoid harm to others.

1.3 Be honest and trustworthy.

1.4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate.

1.5 Honor property rights including copyrights and patents.

1.6 Give proper credit for intellectual property.

1.7 Respect the privacy of others.

1.8 Honor confidentiality.

2. MORE SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. As an ACM computing professional I will . . .

2.1 Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness and dignity in both the process and products of professional work.

2.2 Acquire and maintain professional competence.

2.3 Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work.

2.4 Accept and provide appropriate professional review.

2.5 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks.

2.6 Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities.

2.7 Improve public understanding of computing and its consequences

2.8 Access computing and communication resources only when authorized to do so.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVES. As an ACM member and an organizational leader, I will . . . . .

3.1 Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities.

3.2 Manage personnel and resources to design and build information systems that enhance the quality of working life.

3.3 Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an organization's computing and communication resources.

3.4 Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of requirements; later the system must be validated to meet requirements.

3.5 Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and others affected by a computing system.

3.6 Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems.

4. COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE. As an ACM member, I will . . . .

4.1 Uphold and promote the principles of this Code.

4.2 Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM.

Define what a “conflict of interests” is.

Give an example; identify what the interests are; identify what the conflict is; describe how someone would do something unethical because of the conflict between these two interests.

A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in another. A conflict of interest arises in the workplace when an employee has competing interests or loyalties that either are, or potentially can be, at odds with each other. A conflict of interest causes an employee to experience a struggle between diverging interests, points of view, or allegiances.

Example:

Mike is a board member on the Neighborhood Council.

His spouse is a 50% partner in a Downtown Skyscraper. The property owner next to

the Downtown Skyscraper seeks to develop the property into a mall and seeks the

Neighborhood Council's support. What are Mike's economic interests? Is Mike

disqualified from participating on the proposal to develop property next to the Downtown

Skyscraper?

Answer:

Mike is disqualified from voting. Mike has an indirect interest in the downtown

skyscraper due to his wife's 50% ownership. Since the mall is next door to the

skyscraper, or within 500 feet of the skyscraper, Mike is deemed to have a material

interest that is financially affected by a decision on the mall.

Explain how the ACM/IEEE Codes are designed to permit the development of autonomous robots whose purpose is to spy, destroy, or kill.

Neither code of ethics explicitly says that you cannot harm others, only that you will avoid it. I avoid pot holes while driving, but I don't always miss them. IEEE's code states that you will "avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action" and ACM's code says to only "avoid harm to others". Loose language allows for loose interpretation.