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NSWSoftware EngineeringQuick questions
Module 3: Software Automation
Quick questions on Ethics in automation explained: HSC Software Engineering Module 3
8short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the big ethical concerns?Show answer
When an automated decision is wrong, who is responsible? If a self-driving car causes a crash, is it the manufacturer, the software supplier, the safety driver, or the company that operates the fleet? Affected individuals need a clear avenue to complain and to be made whole.
What is case studies?Show answer
Robodebt (Australia, 2016-2020).
What is principles for responsible deployment?Show answer
The Australian Government's AI Ethics Principles (2019) and the OECD AI Principles (2019) converge on roughly the same list:
What is a worked code example?Show answer
audit = pd.DataFrame({ "group": ["F"] 100 + ["M"] 100, "predicted": predictions, # from the model "actual": actuals, # known ground truth })
What is citing no case studies?Show answer
Markers want specific cases (Robodebt is the most powerful Australian example). Generic "AI can be biased" does not score.
What is reducing ethics to bias?Show answer
Bias is one dimension. Accountability, privacy, transparency, surveillance and employment effects are equally important.
What is believing self-regulation is enough?Show answer
History shows it usually is not. Reference principles plus laws (Privacy Act, GDPR, sector-specific regulation) are the realistic answer.
What is forgetting the human cost?Show answer
Robodebt led to deaths. Discuss ethics with the weight the topic deserves. :::