Final answer:
Ethics of technology is vital for guiding corporate conduct in the face of emerging technologies and biotechnical advancements, ensuring safety, privacy, and environmental responsibility. Professional codes of ethics, like that of the IEEE-CS for software engineers, set standards for ethical behavior. The role of government in supporting technology investments is also seen as crucial to address the ethical challenges presented.
Step-by-step explanation:
There is a growing consensus on the importance of establishing an ethics of technology, especially as technological advancements raise challenging questions in terms of corporate responsibility, transparency, and the potential impacts on society. Businesses, as well as professional organizations, often adopt codes of ethics to guide the conduct of their members.
For example, the IEEE-CS has enacted a Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice to ensure that software engineers meet ethical obligations toward public safety, privacy, and environmental protection. The ethical concerns are not only for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence but also for fields like biotechnology, as they present questions regarding the safety of genetically modified foods and the privacy of genetic information.
The relationship between corporations and stakeholders, including employees and shareholders, is underscored in these ethical discussions. Furthermore, these discussions extend to the role of government in supporting technology investments, with some arguing it is inevitable for government involvement to support advancements and deal with the ethical dilemmas they bring. However, establishing ethical practices remains difficult due to uncertainties and the need to keep pace with rapid changes in technology.