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Dealing with the Ethical Workplace Dilemma of Emerging Tech

  • Karen Anthony 
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With the increasing use of technology in the workplace, employers and employees face a new ethical dilemma. The adoption of new technologies has recently accelerated because of the worldwide pandemic sending several individuals from the office area to their residences. Indeed, various governments have reacted to the emergency by implementing strict regulations through lockdown and quarantine measures. 

It is thereby made compulsory for workers in non-essential industries to work remotely. If you gaze at the statistics report of early 2020, you will see that digital transformation has made the work-from-home scenario possible. For remote learning and teamwork, employers have to work hard. From work from home to customer service, security, and critical cloud infrastructure, every entrepreneur works with clients to help them stay open and adapt their business to the world of remote working.

Several advantages came with the rapid transformation of entrepreneurial sectors, like increased production for the bosses and flexibility for the workers. It also has its downsides. The separation between private life and work has been blurred, resulting in an alarming level of depression and anxiety among employers and employees, eventually resulting in burnout syndrome. Although it is not a new phenomenon, the issues confronting the workforce today are significant. It is thereby necessary for companies to include the right technologies and software to ensure better operation and customer business relationships. Pro-business inclinations and effective policies will help protect the companies and the workers.

What is the ethical dilemma?

An ethical dilemma is a growing tension between technological advancement and the concern of using the same in the office sector. Neuro technology or artificial intelligence has come a long way in bringing about changes in entrepreneurial operations. Various ethical issues associated with artificial intelligence need to be tackled effectively. Although these things are in infancy, future unacceptable disruptions may be halted with the right approach. With the help of correct techniques and software, it is possible to address the matter based on the work culture. Rules and regulations are necessary for enforcing safeguards, and thus companies and their workers must be attentive to the values and aims of the agency, which is an ethical concern. As a result, a holistic approach must be embraced. It is the protection of human resources on the one hand and the proper evaluation of the work system on the other.

Communication technology and information technology are related aspects

Communication and information technology has been around the world for a long time, but the use of this technology has dramatically changed in the past. The democratization of interest and the emergence of smartphones and other connected devices like tablets and laptops have made it possible for people to connect. The apt use of intelligence technology has made it easy for employers and employees to notice increasing productivity and rapid turnover. 

Employees and employers are now fully integrated into the office procedures and work for the agency. Hence, information and workplace technology provides great benefits like easy access, sharing, storage, and analysis of the vast volume of data. Together with the improvement of broadband infrastructure, it helps bring flexibility to office operations. Indeed, it has enabled various workers to work from home, which has benefited the agency in multiple ways.

Artificial intelligence and robotics

Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that uses algorithms to mimic human intelligence with minimum human input. Various combinations of artificial intelligence and robotics have emerged in the last few years. The new technology is used in several industries. These developments share several goals but raise similar ethical problems. Robotics is a field that usually depends on computer science, electronics, engineering, and mechanical. It has made it easy for machines to replace humans in a few tasks. 

When combined, machines can autonomously perform various tasks that were executed by human beings. It boosts economic growth, profitability, productivity, and gross value added. However, the problem lies somewhere else. Although automation takes over strenuous repetitive or unsafe tasks like transporting heavy loads or intervening in hazardous environments, it brings other issues. It is not an option for medium and low-qualification sectors where most workers are illiterate. 

Various employers will be displaced, and some will be on the verge of occupational retraining. As a result, the gap between the poor and the rich is widening. In such a scenario, artificial intelligence raises ethical concerns of lack of transparency, discrimination, privacy breaches, etc. Whatever the circumstances and changes, human beings must remain at the center of the workplace. The emerging technologies must complement human skills. 

They should not replace human beings entirely. Similar to information and communication technology, response to problems must be enacted at corporate, governmental, and individual levels. Surveys carried out must be revealed in public. More and more regulatory and legal requirements are needed to drive sales and increase production.