Panel discussion: a collective questioning about quantum ethics

Click here to hear a recording (podcast) of the event! Event time: Thursday, September 26, 2024 – 4:00pm to 5:00pm Audience: Faculty, students, staff, researchers, community members, general public. Location: Southern Connecticut State University – Engleman Hall – Room A120 See map Panelists Colleen Bielitz Assoc. VP for Strategic Initiatives & Outreach, SCSU Florian Carle Managing Director, Yale Quantum Institute Matthew Enjalran Professor of Physics, SCSU Rye Howard-Stone Lecturer of Contemporary Issues in Computer Science and Engineering, UConn Sarah M. Roe (moderator) Director, Research Center on Values in Emerging Science and Technology, SCSU The panel will be followed by a reception to continue the conversation. As quantum technology advances rapidly, it is crucial to consider its ethical implications. While quantum applications hold the potential to transform industries, they also pose significant moral challenges. Quantum computers, for instance, could dismantle current encryption methods, jeopardizing data privacy and cybersecurity. Their ability to solve complex problems at unprecedented speeds might create unfair advantages in sectors like finance or defense, further deepening existing inequalities. By addressing these ethical concerns early, we can ensure that quantum technology develops in ways that uphold fairness, privacy, and security for all. Join us for a discussion hosted by the Research Center on Values in Emerging Science and Technology and the Yale Quantum Institute, with co-sponsorship Details
RC-VEST Discussion: Race & Medicine

April 10th 1:10-1:50pm EN C008 Free lunch bring your friends! Discuss and reflect about how race, medicine, and healthcare coverage are connected. A panel of students, staff and faculty will start the conversation! Please email Dr. Roe (roes1@southernct.edu) if you have any questions. Thank you to our panel and all who attended!
RC-VEST Documentary Screening “The Color of Care”

April 3rd 1-2:20pm (pop in any time) EN 121 A&B Free lunch! Bring your friends! Learn about race, medicine, and healthcare coverage in our communities. Contact Dr. Roe (roes1@southernct.edu) if you have any questions.

Computing Professionals and the ‘Peace Dividend’, or One Bomb is as Good as Another

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Eric Gossett

ABSTRACT

The ending of the Cold War is freeing economic and technical resources from the military arena to yield the so-called ‘peace dividend’. Consequently there will tend to be a shift of business away from the defence sector. This change promotes the possibility of a more ethical orientation to many information technologists’ work, and furthermore represents the chance to argue for more socially useful and responsible applications of computer technology.

This paper avoids moral debate concerning the engagement of information technology professionals in military work in favour of more pragmatic, commercial arguments. The scope for change is surveyed, and the paper outlines a three-phase strategy by which computing professionals can attempt to influence government policy and public opinion in support of a more ethical direction to our work.