3.7 Recognize and take special care of systems that become integrated into the infrastructure of society. Even the simplest computer systems have the potential to impact all aspects of society when integrated with everyday activities such as commerce, travel, government, healthcare, and education. When organizations and groups develop systems that become an important part of the infrastructure of society, their leaders have an added responsibility to be good stewards of these systems. Part of that stewardship requires establishing policies for fair system access, including for those who may have been excluded. That stewardship also requires that computing professionals monitor the level of integration of their systems into the infrastructure of society. As the level of adoption changes, the ethical responsibilities of the organization or group are likely to change as well. Continual monitoring of how society is using a system will allow the organization or group to remain consistent with their ethical obligations outlined in the Code. When appropriate standards of care do not exist, computing professionals have a duty to ensure they are developed.
From the #ACMCodeofEthics #IReadtheCode "3.7 Recognize and take special care of systems that become integrated into the infrastructure of society." www.acm.org/code-of-ethics
What happens when systems have become integrated into the infrastructure and we can't walk away even when they cause harm?