Responsible Technology

Responsible Technology

Introducing The Issue

Every new technology has the potential for unintended consequences that impact our communities and institutions. Whilst technology has improved people’s lives in a myriad of ways, it is also responsible for negative impacts on individuals, communities, society and the environment. Companies ought consider their role by determining the greater implications of their technology and gain confidence from consumers that they’ve done so.

This quote, in reference to Facebook, captures the essence of the discipline of responsible technology and why it is so important: “The product had not been built to put societal good first,” explained Jeff Horwitz, the reporter at The Wall Street Journal who broke the story around Frances Haugen’s leaked documents. “They built a product and didn’t really know what they were doing, and kept turning knobs to maximise engagement. And now we can look under the hood and see some pretty ugly stuff.”

Describe What You Currently Do

Responsible 100 has developed a number of introductory questions for both managers and employees. Our short question sets enable these key stakeholders to explore this important responsibility issue, relevant to their organisation, and to begin to describe current practices and views. Please respond with as much relevant information as possible. Nothing you submit will be shared or published without your permission.

FOR MANAGERS FOR EMPLOYEES

Benchmark Performance Statements

EXCELLENT - Developing and using technology responsibly is fundamental to the business and of critical importance. The right support, funding and oversight goes into addressing the core concepts of responsible technology through the business and through its value chains. The business is constantly evolving to reflect a commitment to responsible technology by listening to feedback from experts and stakeholders. The business measures, monitors and publicly reports on its progress. The business campaigns on the issue and communicates its importance to all key stakeholders. Its policies and practices are integrated up and down its value chains. The business obliges all trading partners to commit to similar high standards, and supports them in doing so. Internal conversations about the development of technological products and services are encouraged. Responsible technology practices are critical to upholding the overall values of the business.
GOOD - The business demonstrates a clear commitment to responsible technology and has various best policies and practices in place. The business can explain its responsible technology practices in respect of all its products and services. Performance is measured, monitored and reported on. While the business makes a genuine effort to incorporate responsible technology policies and practices throughout its operations and overall business model, these issues are sometimes subordinated to income generating and other commercial considerations, which the business is open and honest about.
OKAY - The business recognises the importance of the issue. It adopts some best practices but only on an ad hoc basis and when convenient. No strategy is set. There may be rudimentary auditing on responsible (and irresponsible) technology practices though there is neither monitoring nor measuring of progress. The business demonstrates an effort to improve future policies and practices, and is able to acknowledge current shortcomings. OR the business explains why this issue is neither relevant nor material to its operations.
POOR - The business pursues irresponsible technology practices and those practices are fundamental to its business model. The business does not respond to legitimate public concern or credible evidence of wrongdoing and/or of the negative impacts of its irresponsible technology practices. Policies may have been adopted, but are not effectively enforced, monitored, or measured. The business lacks an open dialogue about improving technological practices and avoids any meaningful communication with stakeholders.

Responsible 100 creates and develops detailed benchmarks on each of the issues we explore. The above reveals only summaries of the current statements describing POOR, OKAY, GOOD and EXCELLENT performance standards. No policy nor practice examples are included here. The complete benchmarks are shared with organisations which, through offering answers to the above questions, help to shape and improve the benchmarks on an ongoing basis. Find out more about our benchmarks here.

Exploring The Issue

Every new technology has the potential for unintended consequences that impact our communities and institutions. Whilst technology has improved people’s lives in a myriad of ways, it is also responsible for negative impacts on individuals, communities, society and the environment.

It can be difficult to develop one definition of responsible technology as technology itself is complex, broad, vague and constantly changing. However, a simplified definition of responsible technology requires businesses to understand the complexities of their technology and consider its social impact and unintended consequences, as well as accepting a level of responsibility and accountability of those consequences.

To create or support responsible technology, companies ought to:

>> Look beyond the individual user and take into account technology's potential impact and consequences on society as a whole

>> Share how value is created in a transparent and understandable way

>> Ensure best practice in technology that accounts for real, messy humans

As the world becomes more reliant on technology, businesses must adapt their own practices regarding technology to protect their customers. Too many internet services are currently insecure and/or unreliable, as well as poorly architected, designed and maintained. Insecure systems and technologies don’t just affect their users — they affect others too. For example, hacked webcams could form a botnet, or children’s data could be leaked from Internet-connected toys. Firms need to ensure their technology is safe and secure with good practices surrounding its use.

There are also concerns regarding the increase in artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms which can be used in all kinds of activity to inform and to make decisions, including by the public sector, companies, educational institutions. With the increased amount of user data that is collected today, responsible companies should aim to ensure algorithms and AI are accountable and impartial whilst acknowledging the limitations of what they provide and making them easier for users to understand.

Businesses should also aim to provide safe and responsible technology to all of their customers, not just those who are capable of spending large amounts of money to protect their information. Unfortunately, internet technologies often operate within old systems that disenfranchise already vulnerable and marginalised people.

Overcoming these challenges requires firms to commit to develop and use responsible technology. This means innovation should consider people and the planet. Responsible technologies recognise and respect everyone's dignity and rights, give people confidence and trust in their use and should never knowingly create or deepen existing inequalities.

Definitions

Algorithms - A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer. The most popular example is Facebook, in which the platform generates the user’s newsfeed.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - AI is ‘the designing and building of intelligent agents that receive precepts from the environment and take actions that affect that environment’. The most critical difference between AI and general purpose software is in the phrase “take action”. AI enables machines to respond on their own to signals from the world at large, signals that programmers do not directly control and therefore can’t anticipate.

Big Data - Extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially those relating to human behaviour and interactions.

Dominant Network Platforms - A small number of platforms are hugely dominant in their areas, like Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon. They wield incredible power in the markets they choose to be active in (including in buying potential competing companies, recruitment, and in R&D). Due to the Internet’s network effects, big platforms may be inevitable — but their governance and accountability are far from ideal today.

Encryption - 'Encryption' is the process of taking an unencrypted message (plaintext), applying a mathematical function to it (encryption algorithm with a key) and producing an encrypted message (ciphertext).

Internet of Things (IoT) - The interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.

Machine Learning - A type of artificial intelligence (AI) that allows software applications to become more accurate in predicting outcomes without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning algorithms are often categorised as being supervised or unsupervised.

Personal Data - Data is the lowest level of abstraction from which information and knowledge are then derived. Personal data, then, is data specific to an individual or group. Data is collected and analysed to create information, while knowledge is derived from extensive amounts of experience dealing with information on a subject.

Privacy by Design - 'Privacy by Design' is an approach to systems engineering which takes privacy into account throughout the whole engineering process.

Responsible Technology - Creating and using technology responsibly requires considering the social impact and unintended consequences those technologies produce.

Links, News And Further Resources

ARTICLES

The Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen, Says She Wants to Fix the Company, Not Harm It - 3 October 2021

After releasing documents that made up the Facebook Files, Frances Haugen claims that she never intended to bring ‘hate’ towards the company but rather to bring light to Facebook’s irresponsible practices. You can read about The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files and Haugen's reports in this article.

A Surprising Collaboration: Competitors Work Together to Solve Ethical Tech Challenges - 18 August 2021

In 2018, as the world put a heightened focus on the ethical use of emerging technology, Salesforce partnered with the World Economic Forum to start the Responsible Use of Technology Project, which brings together stakeholders from industry, non-profit organisations, governments, and academia to solve today’s most pressing ethical and responsible innovation challenges — and act as a powerful force for good.

Tech for Good: Helping the United Kingdom Improve Lives and Livelihoods - 31 July 2020

Following the COVID-19 pandemic the Tech for Good movement has gained momentum through their six wellbeing factors that responsible technology can help improve life across the UK which includes education, job security and environmental sustainability.

RESOURCES

Responsible Technology Institute - University of Oxford

Use this link to stay up to date with recent news regarding responsible technology. The University of Oxford and the Responsible Technology Institute also publish the Journal of Responsible Technology which can be accessed here.

PODCASTS

Responsible Tech and The Synthetic Decade with Amy Webb, Founder of the Future Today Institute - 5 March 2021

New Trust data from the Tech cut of the Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust in technology has reached an all-time low in 17 of the 22 countries it tracks. Some estimate that the COVID-19 pandemic has condensed 10 years of digital transformation into a single year. While technology has helped people and businesses manage through these historic times, the acceleration of AI and machine learning create social challenges for businesses to navigate. You can also listen to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

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