Civil Engineering January/February 2021 | Vol 29 No 1

14 January/February 2021 Civil Engineering E th i cs As information technology infuses every part of our industry and our lives, engi- neering practitioners, as the custodians of the industry, need to think about how and why we integrate new technology into our day-to-day project work. There is always a danger of adopting new technologies because they are shiny and novel, perceived as a silver bullet solution, or because they promise to improve the bottom line, even at the expense of ethical, social, or environmental goals. There exists a danger of progressing on a path of technology adoption for technology’s sake. When it comes to the ethics of tech- nology adoption, the issues are often more subtle than simple dishonesty, fraud, or corruption and must be con- sidered by engineering practitioners. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is closely tied to information technology, and more specifically the integration of information technology in industry. It will lead to a radical change in industry as information technology infuses the day-to- day workings of the primary (agriculture and resources), secondary (manufacturing, engineering, construction), and tertiary (financial) sectors. It is the result of the horizontal expansion of information tech- nology. This means that 4IR is essentially a creative linking between technology and the market in every industry grounded in information technology 1 . Now, on the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we can expect a fundamental change in the way we live, work, and relate to each other. This change is expected to be unlike any before it in its scale, scope, and complexity 2 and will affect engineering practitioners in their day-to-day work. The architecture-engineering-con- struction (AEC) industry is already feeling the effects of 4IR through the adoption of simulation and modelling systems and Ethics, technology, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations SAICE’s Growing Forward Together strategy comprises eleven different activities grouped into seven areas. The second of these activities is Ethics and Professionalism, which focuses on the promotion of professionalism and integrity in the civil engineering industry. To increase awareness of the issue, Civil Engineering features short articles on relevant topics around the subject from time to time. Gregory Skeen Pr Eng SAICE Growing Forward Ethics Champion ethics@saice.org.za Assist-a-University Grow-a-Graduate Grow-an-Expert 5–6 Grow SAICE 7 1 Getting to know your SAICE Ethics, Diversity and Inclusivity 2 Knowledge Trailblazer The Voice – Advocacy 3 4 SAICE STAR Success Through Academic Readiness Programme SAICE SOS Support Our Students