Ethics and accountability have long been a major concern for both the state and society. With the advent and proliferation of the modern nation-state, the government and its rank and file have been a target of censure by the chattering class and their detractors. Contrary to its originally benign intentions, the state and all its agencies often concentrate power and resources to fit the needs of the ruling class and elite. This ushers in the question not only about the efficacy of the government but also the ethical principles and accountability mechanisms put in place to ensure a just and equitable society. The issue of corruption, collusion, nepotism, governance deficit, social inequalities and exclusionary politics are a mere figment of the problems faced by state and society around the world today.

In recent times, the rise of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the spread of giant tech corporations in the fields of Social Media, Internet of Things (IoTs), Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Systems (LMS), Robotics, and Bio-Medicinal Science beg the question of ethics and accountability. To whom are these giant tech corporations accountable to when the state is unable to play ‘catch up’ with them? How do we draw the line between what is ethical and not when the subject moves from humans to machines? What are the boundaries between human responsibility/accountability and machine systems that intelligently and automatically operate based on algorithms that are separate from human values and convictions?

In view of the developments above, the question of professions come into being. What professions will be relevant, and which will be replaced by automated systems? How can different professions come to terms with the technological advancement taking place in virtually all sectors of the society and economy? What will become of professional associations with all their ethical codes of conduct and their relevance to society at large?