Yesterday’s analysis of the ethical tradeoffs faced by engineers working in the Valley certainly lit up my inbox with responses. The general thesis of that piece is that startups and tech companies face more — and worse — tradeoffs as they have migrated from the “purity” of the early internet into more socially and ethically […]
View More Dragonfly, ethics, and infrastructure spendingCategory: Ethics
Industries must adopt ethics along with technology
Klaus Michael Vogelberg Contributor Share on Twitter Klaus Michael Vogelberg is the chief technology officer of Sage, a UK-based accounting software firm. A recent New York Times investigation into how smartphone-resident apps collect location data exposes why it’s important for industry to admit that the ethics of individuals who code and commercialize technology is as important […]
View More Industries must adopt ethics along with technologyIs ethical tech a farce?
Shannon Farley Contributor Shannon Farley is co-founder and executive director at Fast Forward. More posts by this contributor Legal tech is opening the system to those who need legal representation the most Why edtech startups need to build for overlooked communities In the past year, we’ve seen tech platforms called out for stoking hate and […]
View More Is ethical tech a farce?CRISPR scientist in China claims his team’s research has resulted in the world’s first gene-edited babies
In a dramatic development for CRISPR research, a Chinese scientist from a university in Shenzhen claims he has succeeded in helping create the world’s first genetically-edited babies. Dr. Jiankui He told the Associated Press that twin girls were born earlier this month after he edited their embryos using CRISPR technology to remove the CCR5 gene, […]
View More CRISPR scientist in China claims his team’s research has resulted in the world’s first gene-edited babiesConvercent wants to make it easier for companies to measure ethical behavior
It’s not always easy to do the right thing or to make ethical decisions in a complex business environment. People get lost inside large organizations and group think can overwhelm even normally ethical individuals. Convercent has created a platform to help, and today it announced a new benchmarking dashboard to allow companies to measure just […]
View More Convercent wants to make it easier for companies to measure ethical behaviorTech employees can make up for executives
We frequently turn to tech executives to answer for issues because they have the agency to make changes. But they are not alone.
View More Tech employees can make up for executivesIntegrate.ai pulls in $30M to help businesses make better customer-centric decisions
Helping businesses bring more firepower to the fight against AI-fuelled disruptors is the name of the game for Integrate.ai, a Canadian startup that’s announcing a $30M Series A today. The round is led by Portag3 Ventures . Other VCs include Georgian Partners, Real Ventures, plus other (unnamed) individual investors also participating. The funding will be […]
View More Integrate.ai pulls in $30M to help businesses make better customer-centric decisionsThe future of AI relies on a code of ethics
As the AI revolution continues to accelerate, new technology is being developed to solve key problems faced by consumers, businesses and the world at large. Our reliance on AI will deepen, inevitably causing many ethical issues to arise as humans turn over to algorithms their cars, homes and businesses.
View More The future of AI relies on a code of ethicsStudents confront the unethical side of tech in ‘Designing for Evil’ course
Whether it’s surveilling or deceiving users, mishandling or selling their data, or engendering unhealthy habits or thoughts, tech these days is not short on unethical behavior. But it isn’t enough to just say “that’s creepy.” Fortunately, a course at the University of Washington is equipping its students with the philosophical insights to better identify — and fix — tech’s pernicious lack of ethics.
View More Students confront the unethical side of tech in ‘Designing for Evil’ courseShould AI researchers kill people?
AI research is increasingly being used by militaries around the world for offensive and defensive applications. This past week, groups of AI researchers began to fight back against two separate programs located halfway around the world from each other, generating tough questions about just how much engineers can affect the future uses of these technologies. […]
View More Should AI researchers kill people?Does ordering delivery during a snowstorm make me a trash human?
*Stretches widely*
*Inhales deeply and peacefully*
Aaahhh! A snowstorm!
Time to bundle up with all your blankets. Time to sip hot chocolate while staring wistfully at the accumulating snow. Time to ask yourself the age old question: “If I order deliv…
Heaven’s AI is named Janet, and she’s way smarter than Alexa
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Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers regarding Janet from The Good Place, but it avoids other big plot points.
In heaven, everyone shares an omniscient personal assistant named Janet. At least that’s the case in the hit NBC show The Good Place, which follows the journey of a woman who mistakenly ends up on the wrong side of the afterlife.
Janet, played by D’Arcy Carden, is reminiscent of the digital assistants we have today and has traits robotics experts are striving to include in the artificial intelligence of the future.
Sure, some of Janet’s features are completely magical: If you want jalapeño poppers, she can make them appear out of thin air. This is supposed to be heaven, after all. But, just as we do on Earth, in the Good Place, people struggle with ethical issues when it comes to social robots like Janet. Read more…
More about Robots, Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, The Good Place, and Janet
View More Heaven’s AI is named Janet, and she’s way smarter than Alexa