Learning objectives

• Appreciate the ethical challenges arising in the future of digital work.
• Discuss ethical decisions in this context based on ethical theories.

Ethical challenges in the future of digital work

Case 1: Fair compensation

Ethical theories

• Utilitarian (consequentialist) ethics
• Deontological ethics
• Virtue ethics

Utilitarianism

Key proponents: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill

• Ethical decisions maximize the happiness for all individuals affected.
• Only consequences are considered to judge whether a decision is right or wrong (consequentialist approach).
• Utilitarianism is a rational normative approach that resembles economic assessments of costs and benefits.
• Criticism (example): In purely utilitarian ethics, the utility (or pleasure) of many may be used to justify suffering for individuals. Immoral actions may be justified based on their consequences.

Deontology

Key proponents: Immanuel Kant, John Rawls, Thomas von Aquin

• A decision is morally right if the action itself is right under a series of rules and principles.
• People have the moral obligation to follow universal rules. Consequences are not taken into account, considering that bad intentions could accidentally lead to good consequences and vice versa.
• Categorical imperative (original version): "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
• Criticism: In some situations, categorical rules can lead to an excessive extent of adverse consequences.

Virtue ethics

Key proponents: Socrates, Niccolò Machiavelli, David Hume

• A virtuous person should practice good habits such as honesty, temperance, and generosity.
• Virtue ethics focuses more on the good life (eudaimonia), rather than explaining which actions are morally permitted.
• Criticism: In some cases, it can be hard to judge whether an action is immoral based on virtue ethics. Virtues may change throughout history and across cultures.

Case 2: Workplace surveillance

Case 3: Crowd-work platforms, exploitation, and the role of platform owners

Summary

• We considered three cases: Compensation, surveillance, and crowd-work
• Ethical theories covered: Utilitarianism, duty ethics, and virtue ethics
• There are more ethical perspectives, such as discourse ethics, libertarian, or communitarian approaches