Introduction

In your first blog post, please write a short introduction to who you are, what your interests are, why you are studying Computer Science (or whatever your major is), and what you hope to get out of this class.

Hi! I’m Zach Waterson, a senior CS major minoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). I’m originally from the SF Bay Area and plan to return there after I graduate. I’m interested in consumer technology, specifically the ways in which it can improve the lives of others. I’m a huge fan of Apple for this reason.

I hope to learn from Ethics the ways in which technological progress should be pursued and the relevance of morals to the development of technology. When is it appropriate to reevaluate a technology on moral grounds?

Additionally, in your opinion, what are the most pressing ethical and moral issues facing Computer Scientists? Which ones are you particularly interested in discussing this semester?

I’d love to explore how the profit motive can legitimize potentially immoral uses of technology, for example in the area of consumer data collection. Artificial intelligence and the inevitable elimination of many jobs are also complex topics I’d also love to discuss. How will society need to restructure as more and more jobs are replaced by skilled automation techniques? Can we guarantee the creation of a generic AI that is benevolent?

Additionally, in today’s world, the balance between encrypted communications and national security should be investigated.