We live in a world of increasingly intelligent machines. And like all human tools, our technology can be used for good or for ill. As we progress along the road of technological development, we need to periodically stop, take stock, and reflect on what fundamental principles we allow to shape the technology and society that will emerge.
It is in this spirit that UTS has assisted with work done by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) as part of an ongoing partnership – run through the UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion – exploring the ethical implications of rapidly advancing technology.
Earlier this year UTS submitted a response to the AHRC Human Rights and Technology Discussion Paper. We proposed that one of the fundamental principles for consideration in developing new technology must be the desire to produce socially just outcomes.
New technology, same old status quo
Examples of overtly racist and sexist algorithms are multitude, mostly an unintended consequence of implicit biases inadvertently absorbed into the design process. Humans who program AI pass on their biases, and AI interacting with other social forces – for example, a computer ‘learning’ from existing texts, or drawing examples from a limited population sample – embed existing social problems.
Developing and deploying technologies does not happen in a social vacuum. Social, political and economic inequality is just as present in the world of technological innovation as it is elsewhere. But deliberately making social justice a primary consideration could contribute to a more equal world.
What needs to happen to achieve this?
Inclusion and equity
The first step is to include more diverse voices in the design process. Wide-ranging human input, particularly from vulnerable and underrepresented groups, is imperative to ensure all people and their needs, are considered when new technology is developed.
Expanding participatory processes also ‘democratises’ technology, allowing us to identify potential uses, potential problems and potential opportunities which we may otherwise have overlooked. Australia’s ageing population, people with disability, people living in remote areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and people with chronic health conditions; all these groups need to be included and consulted when designing new technology.
These conversations would help to break the power imbalance between private companies and users, to allow human-centred design to come first, with people and their needs at the core of any potential technology initiative. These conversations must also be ongoing, occurring in cycles as learning loops to inform the ongoing process of design and engagement.
Further considerations for socially just technology
While human input to design is the start, we posit four further elements that need to be intentionally considered to produce socially just outcomes in technological development:
- Digital literacy and transparency: educating users to be more literate about their data and how it is used in order to inform proactive engagement in decision-making processes. Having the necessary language to ask questions, engage in dialogue and advocate for their rights will empower users.
- Practical ethics: building a new ethical foundation in ‘human rights by design’ for the designers and developers of new technologies, through a continuous process of dialogue with diverse voices in the community.
- Material choices: making ethical decisions about the materiality of technology means not being complicit in promoting oppression (for example, rejecting slavery in extraction industries used to mine rare earths). This means a commitment to universality and thinking in a way that is holistic, interconnected and deeply relational.
- Trust: the ability to interrogate the role of AI in decision-making systems allows individuals to develop trust and confidence using such systems.
The role of universities in shaping technology
Universities have a critical role to play in this inquiry, as well as in the ongoing interrogation of technological developments, alongside industry and community.
As institutions for public benefit, we provide a neutral space in which to examine and analyse the impact of emerging technologies. We hold connections to community, industry and other institutions that help to facilitate an inclusive dialogue around this important issue, and we also have a critical role in raising AI literacy.
Technology has, and will continue to, drastically change the fabric of our world. Whether that is for good, or for ill, will ultimately be up to us to determine.
Learn more: Explored in Season 3 of All Things Equal – the new season goes behind the tech hype, to hear the real human stories of Australians living through the upheaval of the fourth industrial revolution.