Ch 3 · 7 Ethics and Ownership · AS & A Level Computer Science 9618
Topic 3 of 3 in System Software, Security and Ethics — AS & A Level Computer Science 9618 — 59 lessons.
Introduction
Computer scientists build systems that affect millions of people. This lesson covers why professionals need a code of ethics, how the law protects software as intellectual property, the different kinds of software licence, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence. (Syllabus topic 7: section 7.1.)
Key ideas — 7.1 (a) Ethics as a computing professional
Ethics are the moral principles that guide how a person behaves. A computing professional has access to sensitive data and builds systems that people depend on, so they must behave responsibly even when no law covers the situation.
🧑🏫 Teacher's explanation
Imagine you are a doctor. You have access to private medical records and the power to prescribe medicine that could either heal or harm. Because your actions have massive consequences, you don't just follow the law; you follow a strict set of moral rules to ensure you always do what is best for the patient.
📖 Definitions
🔍 Worked example — Easy
A software engineer is asked by their employer to include a 'backdoor' in a security system to allow the company to access user data without permission. Which principle of a professional code of conduct is being challenged?
🔍 Worked example — Standard
A developer is offered a large sum of money by a competitor to delay the release of a new software product. According to the BCS code of conduct, how should the developer respond?
🔍 Worked example — Exam-style
A junior programmer is assigned to develop a high-frequency trading algorithm for a bank, but they have never worked with financial mathematics or real-time systems before. Which specific ethical responsibility is at risk?
⚠️ Common errors
🧠 Quick check 1
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🎯 Exam question
Identify the ethical principle being tested in this scenario and explain why joining a professional body like the BCS would help the engineer in this situation. [3] [3 marks]
Key ideas — 7.1 (b) Acting ethically or unethically
Exam questions give a situation and ask for the impact of acting ethically or unethically. Consider everyone affected: users, the client or employer, the public, and the professional.
🧑🏫 Teacher's explanation
Being a computing professional isn't just about writing code that works; it's about making decisions that are right, even when no one is watching. Think of it like being a doctor: a doctor could technically perform a surgery just to make money, but they follow an ethical code to ensure they 'do no harm.' In computing, your 'harm' might be a data breach, a biased AI, or a software crash in a self-driving car.
📖 Definitions
🔍 Worked example — Easy
A software engineer discovers a minor bug in a non-critical feature of a banking app. The manager asks them to ignore it to meet a release deadline. Identify the ethical action and the primary stakeholder affected.
🔍 Worked example — Standard
A developer is hired to build a database for a hospital. They realize they can easily add a hidden feature to track patient names and addresses for marketing purposes without the hospital knowing. Evaluate the impact of this unethical action.
🔍 Worked example — Exam-style
A programmer is asked to implement an AI algorithm for a recruitment firm. The programmer notices the training data is heavily biased toward male candidates. The manager says, 'Just implement it; we need it by Monday.' Discuss the ethical implications for the professional and the public.
⚠️ Common errors
🧠 Quick check 1
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🎯 Exam question
Discuss the ethical implications of the engineer implementing this AI as requested. [4] [4 marks]
Key ideas — 7.1 (c) Copyright legislation
Copyright is a legal right that protects the owner of an original work (software, music, text, images) from others copying, distributing, modifying or selling it without permission.
🧑🏫 Teacher's explanation
Imagine you spend months building a complex, custom LEGO castle. It took you hundreds of hours and a lot of money to buy the bricks. If someone else takes a photo of your castle, replicates it perfectly using their own bricks, and starts selling it as their own creation, you lose the money you spent on your time and materials. Copyright is the legal 'fence' around your castle that says, 'You cannot copy this without my permission.'
📖 Definitions
🔍 Worked example — Easy
A software company spends 500,000 on development. They sell a license for \50. If 10,000 users buy the software, but 9,000 users use pirated copies instead, calculate the financial loss to the company.
🔍 Worked example — Standard
Identify which type of software license is being described: 'Users are allowed to use the software for free for a limited trial period, after which they must pay to continue using the full version.'
🔍 Worked example — Exam-style
A developer wants to release software where anyone can view, modify, and redistribute the source code, provided they keep the same license. Which organization/philosophy does this align with?
⚠️ Common errors
🧠 Quick check 1
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🎯 Exam question
(a) Identify the type of software licensing model that allows a trial period. [1] (b) Explain two reasons why copyright legislation is necessary for this software company. [4] [5 marks]
Key ideas — 7.1 (d) Software licences
Justifying a licence means linking the features to the situation. Example: a company that has spent two years developing accounting software should use a commercial licence, so that each customer pays and cannot copy or modify the program, giving the company income to recover its costs.
🧑🏫 Teacher's explanation
Think of a software licence like a recipe for a cake. If you give someone the recipe and tell them they can change it and share it with their friends, you are being 'Open Source'. If you give them the cake but hide the recipe so they can't make it themselves, and you charge them every time they want a slice, you are using a 'Commercial' licence.
📖 Definitions
🔍 Worked example — Easy
A developer creates a small utility tool. They want people to try it for 30 days to see if it meets their needs, but they do not want to provide the source code. Which licence type should they use?
🔍 Worked example — Standard
A non-profit organization wants to release a new operating system. They want to ensure that no company can ever take their code, make a small change, and then sell it as a 'closed' product without sharing those changes back. Which licence type is most appropriate?
🔍 Worked example — Exam-style
A large corporation has spent \$5,000,000 on R\&D for a new AI-driven medical diagnostic tool. They want to ensure they can recoup their costs and prevent competitors from simply copying the software and selling it themselves. Justify the most appropriate licence type.
⚠️ Common errors
🧠 Quick check 1
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🎯 Exam question
(a) Identify the type of licence the company should use. [1] (b) Justify your answer for part (a). [2] [3 marks]
Key ideas — 7.1 (e) Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a computer system to carry out tasks that normally need human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, recognising patterns and making decisions.
🧑🏫 Teacher's explanation
Imagine you are teaching a child how to sort fruit. At first, they might struggle, but after seeing thousands of apples and oranges, they start to recognize the patterns automatically. This is the core idea of Artificial Intelligence: instead of a programmer writing a strict list of rules (e.g., "if it is red and round, it is an apple"), the computer is given data and learns the patterns itself. This process is called 'learning'.
📖 Definitions
🔍 Worked example — Easy
Identify three applications of AI in the medical field and one social impact of these applications.
🔍 Worked example — Standard
An AI system is used to screen job applications. It is found that the AI consistently rejects candidates from a specific postcode. Categorise this impact and explain why it occurred.
🔍 Worked example — Exam-style
Discuss the environmental impact of large-scale AI models, considering both the positive and negative aspects.
⚠️ Common errors
🧠 Quick check 1
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🎯 Exam question
(a) State one social impact of the widespread use of AI in these sectors. [1] (b) Explain how AI can lead to economic challenges for the workforce. [2] [3 marks]
Worked example
A programmer working for a bank is told to hide a fee in the small print of a new app. Describe the impact of acting unethically and of acting ethically.
🔍 Worked example — Easy
A developer is asked to implement a 'hidden' data collection feature in a fitness app that tracks location even when the app is closed, without notifying the user. Describe the impact of acting unethically.
🔍 Worked example — Standard
Compare the use of 'Open Source' vs 'Commercial' software licences for a startup company building a new proprietary banking algorithm.
🔍 Worked example — Exam-style
An AI system is used by a recruitment firm to filter CVs. The AI is found to be biased against candidates from certain postcodes. Discuss the social and economic impact of this AI application.
⚠️ Common errors
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Practice
Answers: (1) Any two: shows they follow a recognised code of conduct; guidance on ethical dilemmas; professional qualifications and training; networking and support; increases trust of employers and clients. (2) Software is expensive to develop and easy to copy; copyright protects the owner from unauthorised copying and selling, so they are paid for their work and can take legal action against piracy. (3) A Free Software Foundation licence (e.g. GPL): it allows anyone to run, study, modify and redistribute the code, and requires that modified versions are released under the same free licence. (4) Shareware can be used free for a trial period or with limited features before paying; commercial software must be paid for before use. (5) Social: e.g. job losses in routine work, or biased decisions from biased training data, or better medical diagnosis. Environmental: e.g. training large models uses a lot of electricity, or AI can optimise energy use.