Ethical Machines How Should We Teach Ethics to Computer Science Majors?
Oct 16, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Steven Kelts, a lecturer at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs and the Department of Computer Science, shares insights on teaching ethics to future tech leaders. He argues for more than just philosophical approaches, advocating for practical training that includes moral awareness and ethical decision-making. Kelts emphasizes the importance of recognizing subtle ethical red flags and fostering systemic solutions over individual heroism. He also explores innovative teaching methods, including role plays and integrating LLMs in ethics education.
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Four-Stage Ethical Decision Process
- Ethical decision-making is a four-stage process: awareness, deliberation, intention, and behavior under organizational pressure.
- Training must target all four stages to convert moral insight into real workplace action.
Practice Issue-Spotting With Unlabeled Scenarios
- Train students to "smell the ethical smoke" by giving them unlabeled scenarios to spot potential problems.
- Teach when to seek expert and diverse perspectives rather than just teaching moral theory.
Horror Stories Must Include Technical Causes
- Horror stories about big tech can prime students' antennae if paired with technical accuracy and remedies.
- Students want concrete links from system design choices to ethical harms and actionable fixes.
