Week Four :: July 18–25

The Ethics of Tech: Scientific, Corporate and Personal Responsibility

Big Tech companies have begun to acknowledge their tremendous and sometimes harmful impact on society — particularly with regard to marginalized communities and civil liberties, and usually only following public calls for ethics reform and oversight.

• Is it enough for these giants to self-police, or is an industry-wide code of ethics or government regulation necessary to protect a future dominated by artificial intelligence, datafication and facial recognition?
• Does such oversight stifle innovation? How is the rest of the world responding?
• And, while it’s easy to see ourselves as victims, how do we take personal responsibility as consumers and users?