Speaker
Don Gotterbarn
Agenda
14:00 Welcome and Introductions
14:05 Talk by Don Gotterbarn, “Computing’s Ethics Life Cycle: Closing the responsibility gap for the ethical IT Professional”
15:00 Open AGM
15:05 Minutes of the previous AGM
15:10 Report from the Chair and Treasurer
15:20 Election of committee members
15:25 Any other business
15:30 Close
Synopsis
Event overview: BCS ICT Ethics SG, AGM 2025, including a presentation by Don Gotterbarn, a retired software engineer and IT Ethics Specialist “Computing’s Ethics Life Cycle:
Closing the responsibility gap for the ethical IT Professional
” Why good people do wrong things and what to do about it. Abstract: Software developers often face ethical decisions in design, data handling, and algorithmic behaviour. Many rely on an intuitive sense of “doing the right thing,” which can lead to blind spots.
A formal Code of Ethics provides a scaffold for ethical humility and responsible decision-making, requiring awareness of common traps and how to adjudicate tensions.
Computing ethics should be treated as a core competency, not a side topic. Every system design and line of code has ethical implications.
Two forms of ethical reductionism are dangerous: assuming ethics matter only in extreme cases (e.g., AI or weapons) and equating ethical systems with technically reliable ones. Systems often meet specifications yet cause unforeseen harm; a pattern repeated from punch cards to machine learning.
Professional interactions and decision psychology contribute to missed ethical issues. Ethical standards are too often seen as punitive, reinforcing the presumption “We are ethical,” which ignores proactive responsibility; the obligation to make things better.
This failure has produced systems that meet technical goals but fail socially. Ethical design decisions are nuanced and require structured approaches. International codes reflect the profession’s moral conscience, but frameworks are needed to translate principles into action and evaluate their application.
We demonstrate this with the “AI Responsibility Gap.” Our framework is not a checklist but a reflective tool for individuals or teams. Positive responsibility looks forward, aiming beyond technical compliance to broader impacts.
Changes in development and management can foster this broader sense of responsibility, empowering professionals to raise concerns under pressure. A structured decision framework helps avoid blind spots and overconfidence.
A Code of Ethics is a practical guide for real-world dilemmas. In a field where code shapes society, ethical humility is a strength; a Code of Ethics reveals what confidence might obscure.
What you will learn: The session will explain new approaches to ethical decision-making consistent with recently developed international standards.
• Reasons for technical ethical misadventures by good people
• The disconnect between ethics and technical skills
• Technical brilliance does not guarantee ethical clarity
• Psychological research on the process of ethical decision making
• How to integrate ethical analysis into software development processes
• Professional principles across software development. Including AI
• Techniques for developing a corporate ethical culture in design and development
• Applying ethics principles to hiring and employee reviews
• Decision frameworks to navigate legitimate ethical tension
Who should attend: The techniques and tools presented help the well-meaning computing professional who finds that the technically sound system they are proud of has had some unfortunate, unforeseen negative impacts. Leaders interested in developing responsible IT systems.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Don Gotterbarn has extensive experience as an academic and as a software systems developer, has been active over several decades promoting responsible computing practices.
As a consultant he worked on systems including ones for the U.S. Navy, the Saudi Arabian Navy, vote counting machines, and missile defence.
Don is a visiting professor at the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility in England.
He has taught at institutions like the University of Southern California, at government agencies such as the NSA, and was a visiting scientist Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute.
Don chaired the ACM Committee on Professional Ethics, and was instrumental in the development of IEEE/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice. He led the international ream that developed the updated ACM Code of ethics.
With support from the National Science Foundation, he and colleagues developed a CASE tool for discovering and anticipating the ethical impacts of a software development effort.
His contribution to computing ethics is recognised by various professional bodies (e.g. ACM Outstanding Contribution award 2005; and Joseph Weizenbaum award 2010 from the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology. ACM Presidential award).
He is on the Board of Directors of the Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals, and worked on two EU grants on responsible computing. He is a member of IP3, IFIP’s ethics committee, and serves on the BCS ICT Ethics Specialist Group and BCS Community Board Code of Conduct working group.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today
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