Reflection

After a series of related readings from the lectures, you will be given the opportunity to reflect on the readings and discussions for each week by writing a few short responses to given prompts. In this course, the reading responses are typically due by 5pm on Tuesdays of the following week they are assigned, after we have discussed the issues and explored the topics in class. This reflection is due on 9/5 at 5pm.

Note that the course staff are looking for your own thoughts on these topics. Writing in the first person, taking divergent viewpoints, and bringing in ideas from outside of class are encouraged. Write as if you are targeting a public audience. Particularly insightful or convincingly contrarian statements might be shared with the entire class in lecture or in the course slack.

For this week, you are to consider the following questions related to the ideas from the ethical frameworks:

1. Design a utility function for assessing the utility of a new facial recognition technology. (You can describe this function in words, but feel free to include some pseudocode as well if you find that to be helpful in your explanation.) Assume that this technology is general nature, and can be deployed for any application where people who need to be identified are present. Provide some qualitative analysis of the usefulness of your function. 

2. What does it mean to be an ethically responsible person and is that something you strive for? Consider the following sub-questions as you answer this one: What ethical, moral, or religious frameworks (if any) do you utilize to determine if an action is right or wrong? How can these frameworks be applied to your future career in engineering or computing or technology? What ethical or moral challenges do you foresee with computing and technology in the next decade?

Grading

Each reflection should be between 500 - 1000 words. It will be graded in terms of:
 

• Does the reflection adequately address the prompt?

• Does the reflection reference the readings and class discussions to support the writing?

• Does the reflection exhibit thoughtfulness and creative expression?

• Does the reflection utilize proper grammar and style?

• Is the reflection an appropriate length?

Submission Instructions

1. (For this first submission) Share a Google drive folder for this class with our TA Ellen (ejoyce3@nd.edu) and give her editor privileges. 

2. Prepare a doc in that folder named using this convention: lastname_firstname_duedate. Example: Joyce_Ellen_090523

3. The TAs will collect each assignment directly from your drive after it is due