In recent months a trend has accelerated. A long-simmering dialogue about the impact of emergent technologies on societal well-being is coming to a boil. Questions concerning advanced robotics, disintermediating digital value-chains, AI, and the algorithmic optimization of human experience present themselves everywhere we look. Quite reasonably, both people and pundits are raising concerns about the implied ethical obligations those wielding these powerful tools have to their fellow citizens. We are in the midst of what the World Economic Forum has characterized as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Whether you believe our current experience is a revolution or an evolution, new challenges are emerging: device and media addiction, implicit bias lingering in data-driven products and services, geopolitical instability driven by the weaponization of data by non-state actors, and the polarization of our society within the cocoons of hyper tailored media and "fake" news experiences. Old problems linger too that we have yet solve. What international aid organizations used to call the “digital divide” persists and now permeates all borders. Deep divisions, catalyzed by technological forces, present themselves in all nations, both rich and poor. Operating in these circumstances, it is no longer an option for decision makers and problem solvers in business or government to act on instinct or to follow their "gut." The capacity to formulate coherent, meaningful positions on the ethical use and potential for abuse of these technological forces is now even more critical.
It is essential that we include traditionally underrepresented or marginalized communities who may have vastly different lived experiences and expectations for how technology can improve their lives.
The trajectory of entire industries, and the success or failure of many companies, now depends on our collective willingness to take time to reflect deeply on the myriad ethical dilemmas those in possession of technological power now face. In response, more and more people in positions of influence, including executives, academics, and financiers are giving voice to a bolder vision of technology's power for good, its potential to create a more enlightened society even amidst these numerous obstacles. A new capacity for technomoral wisdom is presenting itself. In his recent annual letter to shareholders, financier Larry Fink commented “society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose. To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society. Companies must benefit all of their stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate.”
This line of thinking gives rise to a reflection on what it means to create business value and to do good in an economic system in which it has historically been easier and more profitable not to. This second age-of-machines has presented our society a unique opportunity for consumers and citizens to recalibrate their collective expectations of both businesses and governments. Many technological products and services so often presented as inevitabilities merit deep questioning. Investors are also disrupting the status quo, challenging CEOs and boards of directors to look up from profit and loss statements and broaden their gaze beyond the current fiscal quarter to include nobler aspirations of shared prosperity and human flourishing. These themes are coming up everywhere, in books, whitepapers, editorials, congressional testimonies, and key-note speeches. Along the way, companies, academies, and research institutions are competing to shape the dialogue of what (and for who) a better world may come to be through the ethical use of technology. Some recent, important contributions to this dialogue:
- Microsoft's recent publication The Future Computed: Artifical Intelligence and its role in society
- Accenture's 2018 TechVision (full disclosure, I work for Accenture. Read this one first!)
- Satya Nadella's recent memoir Hit Refresh
- Statements by financier Larry Frink, CEO of BlackRock
- Forrester’s recent report on The Ethics Of AI: How To Avoid Harmful Bias And Discrimination
- Shannon Vallor’s recently published book Technology and the Virtues, a Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting. Also thoughtfully reviewed here.
- And many more...
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About the author: David is a Senior Consultant at Accenture, living in Seattle Washington. He is also a student of both mindfulness practice and western philosophy. After college, he entered the business world with a focus on IT project management where he found a passion for reading and writing on technology policy, the power of AI if used for good, and data ethics. In addition to his day job, he is currently pursuing a masters degree with a focus on Data Science and Machine Learning at the University of Washington. You can learn more about him at www.davidbeckley.me .