The ethical nature of critical research in information systems

Concepts of Ethics and Their Application to AI

Any discussion of the ethics of AI needs to be based on a sound understanding of the concept of ethics. This chapter therefore provides a brief overview of some of the key approaches to ethics with a particular emphasis on virtue ethics and the idea of human flourishing. The chapter reviews the purposes for which AI can be used, as these have a bearing on an ethical evaluation. Three main purposes are distinguished: AI for efficiency, optimisation and profit maximisation, AI for social control and AI for human flourishing. Given the focus on human flourishing in this book, several theoretical positions are introduced that provide insights into different aspects and ways of promoting human flourishing. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the currently widespread principle-based approach to AI ethics.

Investigating Knowledge Flows between Information Systems and Other Disciplines:

Information systems (IS) is one of the most rapidly changing disciplines in the social science field, and it is currently facing a new academic shift. The prevailing concepts, such as big data and Internet of things (IoT), imply that there is a plethora of research opportunities for IS researchers. Since these opportunities lie mostly in conjunction with other disciplines closely related to IS, it is essential to identify the interaction between IS and those disciplines. A few studies using bibliometric analysis have been published regarding this topic. However, we have identified several limitations in them: (i) inclusion of only a small journal basket, (ii) focus on a very restricted area of discipline, and (iii) a methodological limitation that can lead to the failure to capture the authentic knowledge flow between IS and other disciplines. We attempt to extend previous studies by proposing a comprehensive analysis model with the largest journal basket and areas of disciplines. As a result of our analysis, a knowledge flow structure different from that of past research is identified. In addition, through the discussion on emerging reference disciplines, we discover new research opportunities into which IS researchers can delve.

Critical theory as an approach to the ethics of information security

Information security can be of high moral value. It can equally be used for immoral purposes and have undesirable consequences. In this paper we suggest that critical theory can facilitate a better understanding of possible ethical issues and can provide support when finding ways of addressing them. The paper argues that critical theory has intrinsic links to ethics and that it is possible to identify concepts frequently used in critical theory to pinpoint ethical concerns. Using the example of UK electronic medical records the paper demonstrates that a critical lens can highlight issues that traditional ethical theories tend to overlook. These are often linked to collective issues such as social and organisational structures, which philosophical ethics with its typical focus on the individual does not tend to emphasise. The paper suggests that this insight can help in developing ways of researching and innovating responsibly in the area of information security.