Mission 1 · Spec 4.8
Individual, social, legal and cultural consequences
The power of computer scientists and software engineers, the challenges of digital technology for lawmakers, and the moral, ethical, social and cultural impacts.
- Starter 5 min
- Learn 15 min
- Lab 15 min
- Quiz 10 min
- Exam 15 min
A few lines of code
A developer changes the recommendation algorithm on an app used by a billion people. Who should decide what that algorithm promotes?
Reveal
AQA emphasises that computer scientists and software engineers have great power: their software can affect millions of people, often with little oversight. With that power comes moral and ethical responsibility.
Key ideas
Power and responsibility
Developers make decisions that affect individuals, society and cultures, e.g. what data is collected, how algorithms rank people or content.
Collecting and analysing data
Huge amounts of personal data can be monitored, collected, analysed and distributed, raising issues of privacy, consent and misuse.
Challenges for lawmakers
Technology moves faster than legislation; the internet crosses national borders; it's hard to enforce laws against anonymous or overseas actors.
Examples to discuss
Autonomous vehicles, facial recognition, AI decision-making, social media algorithms, cyber warfare, wearable devices, the digital divide, automation of jobs.
Useful legislation to reference: Data Protection Act 2018 (UK GDPR), Computer Misuse Act 1990, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, Investigatory Powers Act 2016.
Which kind of issue?
TUTOR NOTES
- Exam habit: AQA's extended questions are marked for quality of argument; use Mission 2's planner.
Mission 2 · Spec 4.8
Writing the extended answer
Planning and writing a high-scoring discussion of the consequences of computing.
- Learn 10 min
- Plan 20 min
- Write 20 min
- Quiz 5 min
What examiners look for
Range and depth
Several impacts (individual, social, legal, cultural, ethical), each explained with consequences.
Stakeholders
Consider users, companies, developers, governments and wider society.
Balance
Benefits and risks, with a reasoned conclusion.
Technical accuracy
Use correct terminology and accurate references to legislation where relevant.
Extended answer planner
Exam-style question
1. Discuss the challenges that the development of autonomous vehicles presents to legislators, and the moral and ethical issues it raises.
[9 marks]Mark scheme (levels)
- Level 3 (7–9): a thorough, well-structured discussion covering legal and ethical aspects, with clear reasoning and a conclusion.
- Level 2 (4–6): several relevant points with some explanation.
- Level 1 (1–3): a few simple points.
- Indicative content: liability in accidents (owner, manufacturer, programmer); laws lag behind technology; international differences; programming decisions in unavoidable accidents; bias in training data; data collected about journeys and privacy; security against hacking; job losses for drivers; potential safety benefits.
TUTOR NOTES
- Routine: 5 minutes planning, 15 minutes writing, then mark against the levels.