It is through this lens that government can help to ensure the ethical development and use of technology.

The European Union, recognizing challenges with ethics in robotics and artificial intelligence, called for the creation of “a new European Agency for robotics to supply public authorities with technical, ethical and regulatory expertise and a voluntary ethical Code of Conduct to regulate who would be accountable for the social, environmental and human health impacts of robotics and ensure that they operate in accordance with legal, safety and ethical standards.” Aside from cross-government groups, individual agencies and departments should consider their use and role in emerging technology and who is responsible for ensuring the ethical application of it.Ĭreate or update policies, regulations, and standards that guide technology ethics but also allow for innovationĬonsortiums of private sector organizations, like the Partnership on AI to benefit people and society, have begun to consider standards around the ethics of technology, but the private sector does not have the broad view of government. Governments could also consider the creation of new teams. When DJ Patil served as the US Chief Data Scientist, he saw it as part of his role to “work carefully and thoughtfully to ensure data science policy protects privacy and considers societal, ethical, and moral consequences.” This is a role that the future OSTP director could assume as well.

The government already has groups, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the Office of American Innovation, that are focused on IT modernization and could be leveraged to lead this effort. Here are a few things government can do to address ethics in technology.ĭevelop roles and teams dedicated to the ethical use of technologyĬlear accountability will help drive the ethical technology agenda in government. However, if government organizations are at the forefront of testing these technologies and setting the standards for usage, they will help to ensure the protection of our citizens and entities, promote positive outcomes, and realize the benefits of emerging technology.

In the face of this reality, it may be tempting to simply avoid new technology to circumvent ethical issues. Virtual reality can educate us through emersion but can also be addictive. The internet of things brings convenience to our every day lives, but raises issues around privacy. While artificial intelligence can vastly expand our access to knowledge, it has also been known to proliferate bias.

Ethics in technology examples