COMP90087 · The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Contemporary Issues in AI Ethics
Week 11 applies the semester’s theory to fast-moving cases through guest lectures: the “AI Governance Cascade” (a layered, inverted-pyramid model where broad principles sit above narrow local practice), AI’s environmental footprint, and planned obsolescence with the “right to repair” as an equity remedy. The exam tests the governance-cascade relationships (which level sets broad principles vs narrow parameters) and the planned-obsolescence short answer. Treat these as applied cases for earlier frameworks rather than new theory.
What this chapter covers
- 01The AI Governance Cascade (guest lecture) — a layered, inverted-pyramid model from broad national principles down to on-the-ground practice
- 02Cascade relationships (exam): the Commonwealth sets broad principles, not narrow technical parameters; ward-level practice sits at a local, lower level
- 03Health-equity and explainable, reproducible AI for minoritised groups
- 04AI’s environmental / pollution footprint — the projected surge in AI data-centre electricity demand
- 05Planned obsolescence — premature discard, digital locks, non-replaceable batteries, obsoleting updates
- 06Right to repair as an equity remedy (Productivity Commission 2021)
- 07Sustainability, care and “more-than-human” design
- 08Using these as applied cases for Weeks 1–10 theory rather than as new frameworks
Short answer: name the term, explain the equity harm, propose a policy
- +1Name the term. This is planned obsolescence — designing products to be discarded prematurely through digital locks, non-replaceable parts or obsoleting updates. The item wants the exact two-word phrase.
- +1Explain the equity harm. It forces repeated repurchase, which falls hardest on low-income users who depend on the device for work or study and can least afford to replace it — an unfair, unequal burden — and it generates e-waste. Tie it to equity, not just cost.
- +1Propose a policy. A right-to-repair policy — requiring repairability, access to parts and manuals, and limits on digital locks — is the remedy the Productivity Commission (2021) frames as levelling this out. Name the policy explicitly.
Key terms
- AI Governance Cascade
- A guest-lecture model of AI governance as a layered, inverted pyramid: broad principles at the top (e.g. Commonwealth-level) cascade down to narrow, local practice (e.g. a hospital ward). Higher levels set broad principles, not specific technical parameters.
- Planned obsolescence
- Designing products to be discarded prematurely — via non-replaceable batteries, digital locks or obsoleting software updates — forcing repurchase and generating e-waste. A two-word exam term.
- Right to repair
- The policy remedy for planned obsolescence: requiring repairable design and access to parts and manuals so users (especially low-income ones) can keep devices working, framed as an equity measure (Productivity Commission 2021).
- AI environmental footprint
- The carbon and resource cost of AI, illustrated by data-centre electricity demand projected to surge sharply as AI scales — raising sustainability duties against corporate renewable-energy promises.
- Health-equity XAI
- Explainable, reproducible AI designed to be culturally responsive and to serve minoritised or marginalised groups, so that each health profession’s perspective is recognised in an AI-integrated system.
- More-than-human design
- A sustainability lens that extends ethical concern beyond humans to ecological and animal-centred considerations in how digital technology is designed and deployed.
Contemporary Issues in AI Ethics FAQ
What does the exam want on the ‘AI Governance Cascade’?
It tests the direction of the layered model: broad principles sit at the higher levels (e.g. the Commonwealth sets broad principles, not a system’s parameter count), and narrow, local practice — like a hospital ward — sits lower. Distractor options flip these relationships, so be able to say which level sets broad principles and which handles local implementation.
How do I answer the planned-obsolescence short answer?
Three beats, one mark each: name the term (“planned obsolescence”), explain the equity harm (forces repurchase, burdening low-income users who depend on the device, plus e-waste), and propose the policy (“right to repair”). Use the exact phrases and tie the harm to equity rather than mere inconvenience.
Is Week 11 just extra reading, or is it examinable?
It is examinable: the guest lectures, tutorial, Canvas material and readings all count. But treat it as applied cases for the frameworks you already have — governance connects to accountability, the environmental footprint to consequentialist harm-weighing, and right to repair to equity — rather than as brand-new theory to memorise from scratch.
Can AI help me revise the contemporary-issues material?
Yes. Sia can drill the governance-cascade directions, rehearse the planned-obsolescence/right-to-repair short answer, and help you connect the environmental and health-equity cases back to earlier theory — explaining each step and checking your reasoning. It mirrors how the University of Melbourne assesses this and does not complete graded work; the subject’s integrity and GenAI rules apply.
Exam move
Treat Week 11 as application, not new theory: for each case (governance cascade, environmental footprint, planned obsolescence) note which earlier framework it activates. Make the two exam-likely items pure recall — the cascade’s direction (broad principles up top, narrow local practice below) and the planned-obsolescence → equity → right-to-repair short answer with exact phrasing. Keep one concrete figure or example per case so you can be specific under time pressure. Because the exam is a closed-book hurdle drawing on guest lectures too, review the Canvas material for this week rather than assuming it is optional.
Working through Contemporary Issues in AI Ethics in COMP90087? Sia is AskSia’s AI AI Ethics tutor — ask any COMP90087 Contemporary Issues in AI Ethics question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how COMP90087 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
