Code of Ethics Clause 1.03:
". . . Does not diminish quality of life, diminish privacy or harm the environment." [1] |
When Nathan hacked in to all of the microphones and cameras on cell phones, he violated the privacy of the public. This is in direct contradiction with clause 1.03 of the Software Engineer's Code of Ethics. The phone companies that are also hacking in to their customer's phones are also at fault here, as they were referenced in the movie for not being able to call out Nathan on his actions because they were doing it as well.
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Code of Ethics Clause 1.04:
"Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities any actual or potential danger to the user, the public, or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be associated with software or related documents." [1] |
Nathan didn't notify anyone of what was going on at his research facility. This is an issue because Caleb will most likely starve to death locked in the facility, but also that no one will know Ava's true identity. This will allow Ava to continue Nathan's research to build robots with intelligence that may be able to take over the world, or maybe she'll just watch people at intersection all day. We don't know, cliffhanger.
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Code of Ethics Principle 3:
Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible. [1] |
Considering the context of the movie, Nathan achieved this measure of the code of ethics. When your goal is to build an intelligent robot, your product will be based on how intelligent it is. Considering that it was basically trapped in a maze with Caleb being the only way out, she succeeded in her test of intelligence, which means Nathan succeeded in providing quality.
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Code of Ethics Principle 5:
Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance. [1] |
Nathan violated this principle of the code in how he set up the test for Ava. Caleb had no idea that he was just a pawn in Nathan's game with Ava, and Caleb's misunderstanding of the situation led to his implied death.
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[1] Quinn, Ethics for the Information Age (Pearson, 2015), 200-205