Imagining the Future of Computing Ethics

Grace Barkhuff

Ph.D. Student in Human-Centered Computing 

School of Interactive Computing 

Georgia Institute of Technology 

Date: November 13, 2026

Time:  3pm - 5pm ET

Location:  TSRB 233

Committee 

Dr. Ellen Zegura (Advisor) - School of Interactive Computing and School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of  Technology
Dr. Rodrigo Borela - School of Computing Instruction, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Betsy DiSalvo - School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Carl DiSalvo - School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Casey Fiesler - Department of Information Science, University of Colorado Boulder

Abstract 

The technology industry develops pervasive, ubiquitous tools that impact both society broadly and our personal, daily lives. From social media's influence on elections to generative AI for emotional support, computing technologies and those who develop them have a profound impact on how we live. As a result, calls abound for new computing technologies to be developed "ethically" and "responsibly." For the past fifty years, academia's efforts in this realm have focused on computing ethics education, a subject within computing that teaches students to consider the societal impacts of the tools they design. Because this education is critical, we must pause to evaluate the state of our ethics education and its effectiveness and imagine how we might improve it. In this thesis proposal, I provide an overview of the current state of ethics education in the United States, including an analysis of educational materials that meet ethics learning outcomes, educators' perceptions of ethics instruction, prevalence of required ethics instruction in computing programs, and students' approach to ethics when designing new technologies. I reflect on what it might mean for instructors to model ethical engagement with technology in their own classrooms, then propose work related to using ethics education to help students develop an understanding of how their values connect to their careers in computing.

Meeting Details  

  https://gatech.zoom.us/j/4265896666?pwd=bW10czF5UGVJcTNzWEFQa0NYem1TZz09