All Tech is Human featured me in their "Responsible Tech" Guide

Here are some highlights from my interview. The full guide is here

(My interview is on pages 86-87).

➤ What advice would you give to college & grad students looking to be involved in the Responsible Tech ecosystem?

Engaging with people who work on Responsible Tech in the industry can be pivotal for academics that are looking to get involved.

Coming from an academic background myself, I notice that academics can have misconceptions about the needs of the industry. A better understanding of these needs can pave the way for more research projects that are attuned to the industry and smoother transitions into industry from academia.

➤ What are the misconceptions about your role?

People often think that working in tech ethics requires having an extensive technical background and/or dictating ethical decisions to others. Both are misconceptions.

First, non-technical backgrounds are crucial for AI ethics.

For example, people with humanities and social science backgrounds are well positioned to analyze the social, political, environmental, and other impacts of tech. They are also well positioned to clarify concepts such as fairness, bias, and privacy, analyze trends in tech ethics, and so on.

Second, while some jobs may require making decisions about what is ethical, many do not.

For example, I often see my role as helping practitioners build their skills so that they can make better informed decisions.

➤ In your opinion, what are the most important issues in Responsible Tech today?

In my opinion, the most important issue in Responsible Tech today is moving the ecosystem from talk to action. Surveys show that many companies have tech ethics guidelines and principles, but few act on them. This needs to change.

➤ Looking ahead, what makes you optimistic that we can build a better tech future?

I am encouraged by the amount of excitement and motivation around tech ethics. A high level of engagement from many people is exactly what we need to push the ecosystem in a better direction.

➤ Thank you, David Ryan Polgar and Cate Gwin for including me!