Ethics and Responsibility in Technology-for-Good: A Human-Centered Approach
Our networked world has advanced to a point where information technology is touching all aspects of society. The cost of prototyping and deploying new technology tools is now extremely low and data has the potential to accelerate social progress in areas ranging from poverty to human rights, education, health, and the environment. However, we have yet to come to grips with what is ethical and what the laws should be in relation to rapidly changing technologies.
At Benetech, we regularly grapple with questions related to this issue. For instance, we ask, how can we harness the power of technology for positive social impact; and how can we mitigate the risks to privacy and civil rights posed by the age of big data?
As engineers who want to do the right thing, we follow four general guidelines: first, when it comes to data and technology in the social sector, apply a human-centered approach; second, treat the people you want to help with respect; third, when working to protect vulnerable communities, follow the “do no harm” maxim; and finally, bridge communities and establish partnerships-for-good.
Let me explain further.
In a world where the benefits of technology are still often limited to reaching the richest 1% or 5% of society, we are trilled to see a growing movement of engineers motivated to help humanity. As technologists with a focus on creating social good, we need to keep in mind principles of safety and ethics. While the context and the users may vary in each case, the principles of human-centered design and treating others as we would like to be treated remain the same. If we can keep these principles in mind, we can turn good ideas into proven solutions with lasting impact.
This post originally appeared on the blog of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT). |
- Context matters
- Treat users as customers, not recipients of charity
- When it comes to data, rights, and privacy, first do no harm
- Community and partnership are paramount
In a world where the benefits of technology are still often limited to reaching the richest 1% or 5% of society, we are trilled to see a growing movement of engineers motivated to help humanity. As technologists with a focus on creating social good, we need to keep in mind principles of safety and ethics. While the context and the users may vary in each case, the principles of human-centered design and treating others as we would like to be treated remain the same. If we can keep these principles in mind, we can turn good ideas into proven solutions with lasting impact.
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