Information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming increasingly important to our lives, both privately and publicly. At the same time, it requires more and more expertise for good development and operation. Expertise implies power, and with power comes responsibility. An area of expertise with great power and great responsibility in both the private and public spheres quickly becomes a profession, and every profession has professional ethics.

This subject is an introduction to professional ethics for ICT.

The idea behind it is that everyone who trains in ICT should become more aware of their moral responsibility as an important societal actor. A good professional ethical self-understanding within ICT is a kind of moral contingency plan for good and responsible management and practice of ICT as a profession. Something that is ultimately a social responsibility, both for public education and fully trained actors in ICT.

There is some international research and attempts to develop professional ethics in ICT, but virtually nothing in Norway. This subject is therefore the first of its kind in Norway.

The subject is highly relevant to work life, as any self-respecting company, private or public, wants to be a responsible societal actor. Larger players, such as Google and DNB, have today started to hire or associate their own ethical advisers for the company's use of ICT. The more important ICT becomes for society, the more important it becomes with such ethical reflections on the development and use of ICT. This subject should therefore be a compulsory part of all ICT education.

Subject description PEI2100

Professional Ethics for ICT

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