Search Results for: ethics

RIBA signs UN Compact as part of an increased focus on ethics

RIBA signs UN Compact as part of an increased focus on ethics 0

RIBARIBA (The Royal Institute of British Architects) has become a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and has undertaken to support its principles on human rights, labour standards, the environment and corruption. Joining the UNGC is part of the RIBA’s focus on ethics which has recently included co-founding a new coalition to develop a set of globally recognised ethics standards for real estate and related professional organisations. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “As our profession changes and becomes increasingly international, so must our approach to developing and reinforcing professional ethics. Architecture has a direct impact on societies and economies; it shapes and influences the world we live in. For this reason, we architects have a duty to uphold the highest standards wherever we practice. I am delighted that RIBA has signed the UN Global Compact and undertaken to support and promote its principles.”

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Report claims business ethics are linked to performance

business ethicsCompanies with well defined and consistent ethical policies are both more stable and more commercially successful, according to a new report published this week by the Chartered Management Institute. Based on a self-reporting survey of 2,500 CMI members the study found that over a third (37 percent) of managers in growing companies rate their own ethics as high, compared to just 19 percent in businesses that are contracting, which suggests a correlation if not causation. Just under a third (29 percent) of managers rate their organisation’s ethical standards as mediocre or poor. Senior managers also appear to have a more positive idea of their own organisation’s ethical standards than those in more junior and front line roles. Nearly half (48 percent) of senior managers believe their organisation has excellent ethical behaviour, compared to just a fifth (22 percent) of junior managers.

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Robotic managers likely to lack empathy and forget ethics, claims CMI report

RobotA new report into the judgements of managers has concluded that they are significantly more prone to responding in a ‘robotic’ way to moral questions than the general population, relying on handed-down rules rather than their own ethical standards. The report, Managers and their Moral DNA, was commissioned by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in conjunction with personality testing website Moral DNA. It found that nearly three quarters of managers (74 percent) lack empathy and  do not fully consider the moral consequences  when they take decisions, which is 28 percent higher than the general population.  The report also claims that managers are 4 percent more compliant with rules and 5 percent less caring in their ethical decision-making at work than in their personal lives, a figure that tallies with other results from the Moral DNA database according to the report’s authors.

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Younger workers’ CSR ethics don’t necessarily extend to older generation

Younger workers' CSR ethics don't extend to the older generation

Is ageism one of the last bastions of accepted prejudice in the UK? Take the Daily Mail’s “night of the living dead” coverage of the Stones’ Glastonbury performance – deemed acceptable where jokes regarding gender, race or disability are not. A new survey illustrates this attitude. Nearly half of younger workers in a recent poll think older colleagues are in danger of stifling their career prospects by retiring later, that their prolonged presence could damage productivity and that they have very little to teach the younger generation. Yet over half (55 per cent) of Generation Y workers questioned in the poll say the ethical credentials of a company would influence their choice of employer. Since the scrapping of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) the number of over-65s in the labour force has exceeded one million, and the survey, carried out for KPMG by OnePoll warns that tensions could rise as the need for employees to stay in the labour force for longer growing due to social and financial pressures. More →

Most PRs and journalists now use generative AI to create content, but keep quiet about it

Most PRs and journalists now use generative AI to create content, but keep quiet about it

A new report claims that while the majority of content writers in the UK’s PR and communications industry are using generative AI tools, most are doing so without their managers’ knowledgeA new report claims that while the majority of content writers in the UK’s PR and communications industry are using generative AI tools, most are doing so without their managers’ knowledge. The study, titled CheatGPT? Generative text AI use in the UK’s PR and communications profession, claims to be the first to explore the integration of generative AI (Gen AI) in the sector, uncovering both its benefits and the ethical dilemmas it presents. More →

Liar liar… the challenge AI has with the truth  

Liar liar… the challenge AI has with the truth  

 

lets see what experience and qualification AI can bring to the role, before we recruit it into our companiesThe rapid development and integration of AI assistance continues to be mind-blowing. Recently, my phone offered to arrange a birthday get-together for my friend Bruce (a lovely thought, but he’s in Canada and I’m in the UK so it’s unlikely to happen- sorry Bruce!). However, whilst a little geographical confusion doesn’t pose too much of an issue, given it was easy to spot, not all AI mistakes are so transparent. More →

People think GenAI is perfectly fine in their own work. For others, not so much

People think GenAI is perfectly fine in their own work. For others, not so much

 

Interestingly, it seems acceptable to use GenAI for ourselves but less so for othersPeople are commonly blind to how much influence Generative AI (GenAI) has over their work, when they choose to enlist the support of technologies such as Chat GPT to complete professional or educational tasks, new research finds. The study, carried out by associate professors Dr Mirjam Tuk and Dr Anne Kathrin Klesse alongside PhD candidate Begum Celiktutan at Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University, claims to reveal a significant discrepancy between what people consider to be an acceptable level of AI use in professional tasks, and how much impact the technology actually has on their work. More →

Tech workers and young people will need a major skills upgrade if they are to keep up with AI

Tech workers and young people will need a major skills upgrade if they are to keep up with AI

The vast majority (92 percent) of ICT roles are expected to undergo big changes as a result of advancements in AIThe vast majority (92 percent) of ICT roles are expected to undergo big changes as a result of advancements in artificial intelligence and the technology continues to transform the information and communications (ICT) sector according to a new report from tech giants, Cisco, Microsoft and Google. The AI-enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, led by Cisco has published the “Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs” report, offering guidance on the areas for of concern for workers to reskill in response to the evolving job landscape. This transformation will impact professionals in 47 ICT roles, including cybersecurity, data science and software development, according to the report. More →

Pattenmakers search for the winner of the  Future Leader FM Award 2025

Pattenmakers search for the winner of the Future Leader FM Award 2025

Livery company the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers is looking for the next winner of its coveted annual FM awardLivery company the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers is looking for the next winner of its coveted annual FM award. This Award recognises a future leader in FM, rewarding a talented early-career professional with a unique personal development opportunity funded by the livery. The Award is open to newcomers working in the Workplace and FM sectors, who have a maximum of 5 years’ experience. Entry is free, and all the information needed to enter is available here, including a link to the online entry form. The deadline for receipt of entries for the Pattenmakers Future Leader FM Award is: 5th August 2024. https://www.pattenmakers.co.uk/future-leader-fm-award-2025/ More →

Generative AI could rewrite history, including that of the Holocaust

Generative AI could rewrite history, including that of the Holocaust

A UNESCO report published today warns that unless decisive action is taken to integrate ethical principles, AI could distort the historical record of the Holocaust and fuel antisemitismA UNESCO report published today warns that unless decisive action is taken to integrate ethical principles, AI could distort the historical record of the Holocaust and fuel antisemitism. The report cautions that not only can Generative AI enable malicious actors to seed disinformation and hate-fueled narratives, but it can also inadvertently invent false or misleading content about the Holocaust. More →

A brief history of the future of work

A brief history of the future of work

The future of work has always existed but never arrives. It is best seen as a way of thinking about current and emerging issues The past few years and our current predicaments should serves as a reminder of that tragic, unchangeable feature of the human condition, best expressed by Kierkegaard, that we are doomed to live our lives forwards but only understand them backwards. Retrospect is particularly important when we look back on sudden, large changes that knock us off our normal path. It’s important to remember this as we continue to grapple with the nature of the present and future of work in the wake of the pandemic. More →

Not luddite dinosaurs but the sensible voice of caution on AI. And you need to listen

Not luddite dinosaurs but the sensible voice of caution on AI. And you need to listen

In my line of work, it is easy to get away with not being au fait with technology. Having previously laughed off my ineptitude saying ‘there’s a reason I work with people not machines!’ I never considered I had a place in the realm of all things IT and computers. Until I discovered AI. More specifically, Deep Neural Networks. With a specialism in Neuropsychology, I was intrigued by a discipline that aimed to recreate that which we barely understand; the human brain. One of my favourite (and most frustrating) realisations when I began studying more than twenty years ago, was that I could dedicate myself to learning about the human brain 24/7 for the rest of my life… and still barely scratch the surface. Yet here was an AI community telling me they could recreate it. I was beyond intrigued and so began my unexpected delve into the world of all things machine learning and I haven’t looked back. More →