business ethics

Robocops to the Rescue

Many police departments are deploying police robots, sparking serious questions about their impact and oversight. Professor Scott Shackelford and I explored this topic in our research and posed the question: “Robocops to the Rescue?” The answer isn’t an enthusiastic yes. Instead, their use raises a range of concerns that demand careful scrutiny.

In fact, robocops often carry cameras designed for continuous monitoring, and some include facial recognition capabilities. These technologies create privacy challenges that require clear policies and public transparency.

The robots gather huge volumes of data—often referred to as “big data”—which can feed into predictive policing tools. But many worry that biased algorithms in these tools could deepen existing racial and socioeconomic inequalities. As data collection grows, cybersecurity also becomes a pressing issue. Authorities must establish strong safeguards, clarify who can access the data, how long they’ll store it, and offer citizens a way to request its deletion.

Robotic capabilities continue to evolve. Some robots now feature algorithms that analyze health indicators, emotional states, walking patterns, and voice patterns. These robocops no longer function as mere cameras—they’re becoming complex surveillance tools. Some can even be weaponized.

To address these risks, we wrote 25 recommendations for regulating robocops. Learn more and see our appendix filled with photos of robocops!

Writing this summer? Please cite Clovia Hamilton’s research!

Cite Clovia Hamilton’s research (smile)! Professor Clovia Hamilton loves research and I am very proud of this body of research developed over the course of more than 20 years! If you are writing this summer, please cite Clovia Hamilton’s research! black male researcher writing

Lay summaries

Writing This Summer? Cite Clovia Hamilton’s Research!

If you’re writing this summer—whether it’s a journal article, conference paper, blog post, or policy brief—please consider citing the work of Professor Clovia Hamilton. With over 20 years of scholarship spanning AI ethics, data privacy, intellectual property, and diversity in STEM, her research offers a rich foundation for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

Why Clovia Hamilton’s Work Matters

Professor Hamilton’s research is grounded in real-world challenges and offers actionable insights. Her scholarship addresses some of today’s most pressing issues, including:

The ethical deployment of AI and robotics in law enforcement
Sustainable cryptocurrency practices
Inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship
University technology transfer and commercialization
Intellectual property rights and antitrust policy

Her work is not only academically rigorous but also deeply committed to social justice, equity, and sustainability.

Highlights from Her Research Portfolio

One standout publication is her 2024 article in the DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal, titled “Money is Morphing.” In it, Hamilton explores how cryptocurrency could evolve into an environmentally and financially sustainable alternative to traditional banking. She reviews 201 publications from 2013 to 2022 and offers ten policy recommendations for crypto companies, including signing the Crypto Climate Accord, using renewable energy, and supporting unbanked communities.

Transitioning from fintech to public safety, Hamilton’s 2023 co-authored paper on smart policing—presented at the American Society for Engineering Management Conference—examines the ethical and cybersecurity implications of deploying robocops. The study recommends transparency, robust data analysis capabilities, and the appointment of AI ethics czars to oversee implementation.

Bridging Technology and Social Equity

Hamilton’s work also shines in the realm of diversity and inclusion. Her 2020 article in the Applied Management Journal, “Increasing Diversity among Women Entrepreneurs in High Growth High Tech Using HBCU Female Academic Entrepreneurs,” outlines how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can enhance tech transfer and entrepreneurship among women faculty. She proposes model IP policies and highlights the importance of resource allocation and institutional support.

In another compelling piece, “Black Americans Past and Present Created Frugal Innovations,” Hamilton challenges dominant narratives in innovation studies by documenting how Black Americans have long practiced frugal innovation and circular economy principles—often without recognition.

A Call to Action for Scholars and Writers

Whether you’re researching AI governance, sustainable finance, or inclusive innovation, Professor Hamilton’s work offers a wealth of knowledge. Her publications span peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, black female researcher writing and book chapters, making them accessible across disciplines.

As you write this summer, take a moment to explore and cite her research. Doing so not only strengthens your own work but also helps amplify the voices of scholars committed to equity, sustainability, and ethical innovation.

You can find her full list of publications at cloviahamilton.com

If you are writing this summer, please cite Dr. Clovia Hamilton’s research!

Summer 2024

Reimagining China’s Transportation Funding Investments in Africa in the Context of COVID-19

China's investment in Africa's transportation

I am sharing research on China’s transportation funding in Africa. Africa has underinvested in healthcare. China funds much of Africa’s transportation. COVID-19 further weakened both sectors. This literature review shows healthcare, transportation, education, housing, and economic development are deeply connected. Strong transportation systems support broader development goals and deserve priority.

African nations should strengthen all government functions when partnering with China. Trade deals must include healthcare, education, housing, utilities, and supply chains. The pandemic revealed the need for balanced, inclusive strategies that extend beyond roads and rails. African governments should also rethink domestic transportation spending. U.S. models use transit funds to support health clinics in stations. COVID-19 exposed the need for integrated planning. Governments must align transportation with healthcare, safety, housing, and economic growth. Comprehensive planning can close these gaps and build resilience. This review ends with five policy recommendations.

African nations must rethink transportation partnerships with China. The article urges broader development goals, especially healthcare, education, and sustainability. Clovia Hamilton critiques China’s narrow transportation focus in Africa. COVID-19 revealed fragile healthcare and transport systems. Hamilton calls for integrated development planning. She urges trade deals that include public health, utilities, and digital technologies. U.S. models offer useful examples. Hamilton stresses transactional, policy-driven planning. Transportation must align with socio-economic goals.

The article ends with five recommendations. These include integration, equity, digital tools, transparency, and broader policy engagement. Hamilton advocates holistic, community-centered strategies.

Read more…

Voice Activate Cognitive Personal Assistants

Alexa device

This research is about voice activated cognitive personal assistants. In this article, we address the issue of consumer privacy against the backdrop of the national priority of maintaining global leadership in artificial intelligence. The ongoing research in Artificial Cognitive Assistants is discussed.

Also, there is explosive growth in the development and application of Voice Activated Personal Assistants (VAPAs) such as Alexa and Siri. This is spurred on by the needs and opportunities arising out of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

We begin by reviewing the growth of voice-activated personal assistants (VAPAs) and their legal issues in key sectors. These sectors include private homes, banks, healthcare, and education. In addition, we then summarize policy guidelines for VAPA development. We classify these guidelines into five major categories, each with specific traits.

Next, we assign a relative importance weight to each trait and category. We recommend creating a rating system based on legal, ethical, functional, and social content guidelines. We also propose forming an agency to manage this system. This agency would inform consumers about the risks of adopting specific VAPAs. Our article presents a framework to evaluate the social, ethical, and legal content of intelligent cognitive assistants (ICAs). Further, we examine the increasing use of ICAs in homes, healthcare, banking, and education. We emphasize the need for stronger consumer protection. Next, we assign weights to policy categories and recommend a rating system. We urge developers to prioritize ethical and legal standards.

Read more ….

Appropriation of artisans’ intellectual property: Piracy disguised as giving back?

Creative Industries

Creative industries are industries focused on the creation, exploitation and appropriation of artisans’ intellectual property, including art, fashion design, and related creative services, such as advertisement and sales. During a trip to Burkina Faso in West Africa, Keri Fosse was taught by an African woman how to wrap African artisan fashion accessory crafts newborns with fabric in a manner that creates a strong bond and frees the mother’s hands for other tasks.

Craft culture

Burkina Faso has a craft culture and is known for its woven cotton and the textile art of Bogolan. Bogolan is a technique original to and involves the tradition of dyeing threads with bright colors, washing it skillfully, using coated and shiny Bazin, and using indigo from Benin. After this trip, Fosse and her husband developed a shirt which copies the African lady’s, Lalabu’s, technique.

They developed a product called Soothe Shirt; and created a business called Lalabu. Lalabu is also the name of the African woman that the Fosses met. They have been successful. The Fosses have stated that they got the idea from Lalabu, but redesigned it for production. The couple advertises that they “giving back” by giving 2% percent of each purchase to help female African entrepreneurs through microfinancing.

Intellectual property piracy

The Fosses claim that when African women repay their micro-loans, the women reinvest the money into the loan fund. This study argues that such practices do not reflect socially responsible entrepreneurship. Instead, they represent intellectual property piracy. The following sections discuss the relevant legal and theoretical foundations, along with current best practices. However, these practices often lack shared ownership. While Americans may commonly appropriate artisans’ intellectual property within the U.S., their appropriation of cultural crafts from other countries demands closer scrutiny and accountability.

Introduction

gdpr

The newly implemented European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires mandatory breach notifications. The GDPR is a revision of a 1995 directive. To our disappointment, the US has no such federal law. Thus, this means companies must satisfy multiple US laws and that makes it more challenging to comply. This is a GDPR comparative analysis to the US data breach notifications. This study is a comparison of the GDPR with the statutes of the 50 US states. It highlights the challenges companies face. It reveals the types of decisions companies must make to be in compliance with these statutes.

Findings

Notably, this GDPR comparative analysis reveals that the requirements of various laws, statutes, or regulations vary by state, country, and audience. Companies must decide if they will base compliance on the most stringent requirements which can be financially prohibitive. Alternatively, they could meet the minimum requirements which could be managerially prohibitive. A comparison of the GDPR and the statutes related to data breach notifications reveals the types of decisions companies must make. Because the definitions of personal information and data breach vary, a company in one case would be considered to have had a breach. However, in another jurisdiction the company would not. Companies might decide on the behalf of the consumer to notify all their customers.

Further, the time required to notify the consumer or some authority agency varies. A company would likely notify the entities requiring the earliest notification and continue notifications as time permits. Since penalties vary, companies might notify according to those with the costliest penalties first. The contents of data breach notifications are not always specified or consistent. Thus, companies should develop a standard notification provisions for all required entities if the information is available.

Challenges

Briefly, comparative analysis highlights the challenges companies face in trying to comply with multiple regulations. The greatest challenge exists for small businesses. Just knowing the regulations is likely a challenge for an average small business. The GDPR may remain consistent, but the statutes of the 50 US states continue to be amended. In addition, there are the statutes of other countries. More than 100 countries have enacted data protection legislation. Several other countries are in the process of passing such laws with data protection laws (Banisar, 2011).

Further, Banisar notes that data protection laws have been enacted in countries such as Thailand, Mexico, Georgia and Malaysia. The most recent US personal information security breach statutes include new laws in Arizona, South Dakota, and Alabama (Bellamy, 2018). Thus, companies should put into place protections. They need personnel that would help prevent a data breach as per any of these governments’ definitions. Further, this needs to be in addition to a plan to comply with the existing laws. The countries that companies do business in require legal compliance.

Machiavelli business ethics is relevant in high tech

Introduction

Machiavelli The Prince is still relevant in high tech management and leadership and business ethics

Can a 16th-century political treatise provide any guidance on today’s competitive environment? Machiavelli business ethics lessons in The Prince are still relevant because it emphasizes the acquisition and sustenance of influence. Acquired and sustained influence by leaders and managers is important. Yet, there are two camps among scholars regarding the relevancy of Niccolò Machiavelli’s book The Prince (Machiavelli, 1992) to modern day management and leadership. Some scholars argue that the book has never been or is no longer relevant to business management and leadership (Agbude, 2014; Fournel, 2014; Jackson, 2013; Tillyris, 2015). Some contend that it is indeed relevant (Konno, 2014; O’Sullivan, 2014; Rojek, 2014; Ruggiero, 2015; Soll, 2014; Thomas, 2014).

**The Prince *is still relevant***

Herein, it is argued that this work by Machiavelli is indeed relevant. In particular, it is widely accepted that leaders and managers are more effective if they have influence. However, some wrongly associate Machiavelli primarily with the advocacy of vile tactics of manipulation. It is argued herein that The Prince has an over-arching emphasis on the importance of a leader’s or manager’s acquisition and sustenance of influence.

This article provides a number of modern-day examples of how Machiavellian lessons are and can be applied today in the high-tech arena. Certainly, we need to learn from flawed leaders because many corporate leaders have malicious or corrupt tendencies. Also, when leaders are coercive to maintain power and order, it is viewed as bad leadership. This is because there is a yearning for feel-good stories (Kellerman, 2004). We can examine the high-technology business leader examples put forth in this response. It is important to note that these leaders’ characters shape their workplace behavior. They also shape business decisions.

Summary

The examples provided herein are not sufficient. They are not sufficient to inform whether these leaders have the elements of the ‘Return on Character’ (ROC). The ROC is the magic formula for creating value. Some leaders want to create value plain and simple. They may honestly believe that their decisions are the right choices. Certain leaders in the examples may be bad actors that are overly ambitious and greedy. They seek to gain at others’ detriment. Many do both by seeking to do right and create value, and act badly in the process. All people display both vile and kind motives and choices (Kiel, 2015; Wilson, 1998). Thus, the nature of character is as complex and varied as the real world. Again, given the importance of acquired and sustained influence by leaders and managers, Machiavelli business ethics lessons in The Prince are still relevant.

Machiavelli ethics lessons are relevant in high tech

Introduction

Machiavelli The Prince is still relevant in high tech management and leadership and business ethics

Can a 16th-century political treatise provide any guidance on today’s competitive environment? Machiavelli ethics lessons in The Prince are still relevant because it emphasizes the acquisition and sustenance of influence. Acquired and sustained influence by leaders and managers is important. Yet, there are two camps among scholars regarding the relevancy of Niccolò Machiavelli’s book The Prince (Machiavelli, 1992) to modern day management and leadership. Some scholars argue that the book has never been or is no longer relevant to business management and leadership (Agbude, 2014; Fournel, 2014; Jackson, 2013; Tillyris, 2015). Some contend that it is indeed relevant (Konno, 2014; O’Sullivan, 2014; Rojek, 2014; Ruggiero, 2015; Soll, 2014; Thomas, 2014).

The Prince is still relevant

This article provides a number of modern-day examples of how Machiavellian lessons are and can be applied today in the high-tech arena. Certainly, we need to learn from flawed leaders because many corporate leaders have malicious or corrupt tendencies. It is viewed as bad leadership when leaders coerce to maintain power and order, . This is because there is a yearning for feel-good stories (Kellerman, 2004). We can examine the high-technology business leader examples put forth in this response. It is important to note that these leaders’ characters shape their workplace behavior. They also shape business decisions.