Thread by @cfiesler

I'm increasingly frustrated with "I don't know enough about ethics to include it in my class."

My take: If you e.g. teach an ML class & you actually don't know ANYTHING about ML ethics... learn. Ethics is part of ML. I'm sorry your education was lacking, but now time to learn.

Like, professors should be constantly continuing to learn. I learn new things so that I can teach them all the time. If you say "I don't know enough about ethics" what you probably mean is "I don't care enough about ethics."

I'm not suggesting that if you teach an ML class you need to go read Kant. I'm suggesting go read about ethics IN YOUR FIELD. Ethics is part of that field. So go learn it in the same way you keep up to date on ANYTHING that is new or you don't know!

So I am really really glad that a lot of people are trying to create resources to help with integrating ethics into classes. And maybe that will make it easier. But I also feel like it's not unreasonable to ask instructors of technical classes to do some work to learn. 🤷‍♀️

To clarify, I am NOT suggesting that this is a substitution for actual ethics coursework from experts trained in it. Just that along with that coursework, ethics about a specific thing should be at least touched on in the course for that thing.

Also a moment of optimism: ethics education for technologists is really improving! So our next generation of computing professors will be much better equipped to touch on ethics in their classes. 🥰

It's a bit scattered across multiple threads but if you read this also check out conversation with @allergyPhD and @Greene_DM about the importance of not teaching ethics as part of CS at the expense of e.g. humanities departments with deep expertise.

https://twitter.com/allergyPhD/status/1391483840040931330