>> In each of these fields, as practiced today, professional and ethical conduct on the part of software engineers is a necessary precondition for the successful outcomes downstream.
But in none of those fields do the engineers building the tools have any real knowledge of the ethical obligations, nor are they held responsible should their innovations be misused. Their services are not relied upon directly by the patients/clients but by other professionals. The Doctor is responsible to the patient because he is the one telling the patient to trust the robot. The engineer is only responsible to the Doctor as the Doctor is the one buying the product.
A coder's ethical duties end once his invention is fit for purpose. He does not control how his invention is used. A coder cannot know how his work will be used by others, nor is he expected to supervise how his innovations are used once sold. Many innovations will eventually be released into public domain (copyright). A doctor or lawyer's professional obligations do not end, continuing even after death. Doctors/lawyers/teachers/carpenters also retain absolute control over how their services are used and can withdraw at any time. They are not creating products for sale.
(A doc can invent and sell a product, as a lawyer can write a book, but such products are something different than providing professional services to a client.)
But in none of those fields do the engineers building the tools have any real knowledge of the ethical obligations, nor are they held responsible should their innovations be misused. Their services are not relied upon directly by the patients/clients but by other professionals. The Doctor is responsible to the patient because he is the one telling the patient to trust the robot. The engineer is only responsible to the Doctor as the Doctor is the one buying the product.
A coder's ethical duties end once his invention is fit for purpose. He does not control how his invention is used. A coder cannot know how his work will be used by others, nor is he expected to supervise how his innovations are used once sold. Many innovations will eventually be released into public domain (copyright). A doctor or lawyer's professional obligations do not end, continuing even after death. Doctors/lawyers/teachers/carpenters also retain absolute control over how their services are used and can withdraw at any time. They are not creating products for sale.
(A doc can invent and sell a product, as a lawyer can write a book, but such products are something different than providing professional services to a client.)