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Ethics in Information Technology, Sixth Edition
Ethics in Information Technology, Sixth Edition
Chapter 8
The Impact of Information Technology
on Society
Self-Assessment Questions
1. b. 2.3 percent
2. Labor productivity
Discussion Questions
1. We are undergoing a period of rapid technology change with cloud computing,
artificial intelligence, robotics, mobile devices, wireless networks, and increasingly
powerful computers; yet, U.S. labor productivity growth between 2007 and 2016
has been estimated to be an anemic 1 percent. What factors could help explain this
low level of productivity?
Students’ answers will vary. One possible explanation is that there is a lag time between
the application of innovative IT solutions and the capture of significant productivity
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2. Do research online to see how U.S. labor productivity growth compares to that in
other countries. Create a simple graph, and write a brief paragraph to summarize
your findings.
Students’ answers will vary. Two possible sources of information are the websites of the
3. Some economists believe that the United States does not have a productivity
problem but rather a measurement problem. Explain what is meant by this
statement. Do you believe this is a valid statement?
Students’ answers will vary. One challenge in measuring productivity in the United
4. Global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company forecasts that labor
productivity growth from the adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning,
and robotics will average between 0.8 percent and 1.4 percent per year between
2015 and 2065. Does this estimate seem reasonable to you? Why or why not? What
are the implications for the U.S. economy if this rate of productivity can be
achieved?
Students’ answers will vary. Some may argue that it is extremely difficult to accurately
forecast growth from as-yet-unknown technology that far into the future. Others may
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5. Are there particular areas you think are ripe targets for the application of
machine learning? What are they, and why do you think they could benefit from
the application of machine learning?
Students’ answers will vary. Answers should focus on the characteristics of machine
learning programs, which are able to learn a task and then improve their performance
6. What do you see as the role of robotics over the next decade? What is your most
optimistic outlook? What is your most pessimistic outlook?
Students’ answer will vary. The use of robotics is expanding and is likely to continue to
7. The development and use of new medical technology has increased healthcare
spending. Should the medical industry place more emphasis on using older
medical technologies and containing medical costs, or should the strategy be to use
the latest and greatest technology available? Explain your answer.
Students’ answers will vary. The viewpoints of some students may be shaped by their
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8. The value of EHRs is being challenged by many in the healthcare industry. Why is
this? In your opinion, is the investment in EHRs worth it? Why or why not?
Students’ answers will vary. An electronic health record (EHR) is a computer-readable
record of health-related information on an individual. It is extremely convenient and
9. What are some of the issues and concerns associated with the expanded use of
telemedicine?
Students’ answers will vary. Telemedicine, the component of telehealth that provides
medical care to people at a location different from the healthcare providers, helps
10. Can you imagine a breakthrough wearable remote monitoring device that could be
used to not only detect emergency health conditions before they seriously impact
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the patient but also dispense life-saving medicine? Describe your device.
What Would You Do?
1. Students’ answers will vary. Some of the questions that an investor might ask in this
situation are similar to those they should ask before making any financial investment
decisions. Others should more specifically address issues related to the use of a
software product to make investment decisions, such as:
• How are an individual’s personal preferences, including risk tolerance, factored into
2. Students’ answers will vary. Some students may think the price premium for a fully
automated car is still more than they would be willing to pay. Some students may not
3. Students’ answers will vary. Questions that could be asked of the various stakeholders
in such a project include:
• How often do you access the EHR system?
• How reliable is the system in your experience?
4. Students’ answers will vary. The most basic data required to convince the board would
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likely include statistics regarding the exact number of people who require care and
how they would benefit from remote monitoring. All cases should be ones for which
5. Students’ answers will vary. Some students may feel they should defend their strict
approach and explain how it will benefit the hospital in the long term. If the board can
Cases
Case 1: IBM Watson—Not Yet Ready for Prime Time?
1. Students’ answers may vary. It is possible that in the 10 percent of cases in which the
treatment plan varied, OEA offered a viable alternative. If, however, those 10 percent of
2. Students’ answers will vary, but some key learnings from this project include:
• A high level of project management expertise is critical to ensuring the best
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• Training for physicians and other medical staff must encompass all aspects of a new
technology such as OEA. For instance, the WatsonPaths visualization tool, which
3. Students’ answers will vary. MD Anderson should have invested in the project
management and program management tools necessary to ensure that the dependencies
between systems such as OEA and the hospital’s EHR system would be considered
Case 2: Sophia Genetics Moves Precision Medicine Ahead
1. Students’ answers will vary. While MD Anderson’s OEA system had access to the
electronic medical records of thousands of current and former MD Anderson patients,
the Sophia DDM system pulls patient data from 215 hospitals in 35 countries. Over
2. Students’ answers will vary. At minimum, Sophia DDM should ensure that access to its
system and the underlying data is strictly controlled and that it is protected through the
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