Themes (353)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 5 min
- Business Insider
- 2020
This article tells the story of Timnit Gebru, a Google employee who was fired after Google refused to take her research on machine learning and algorithmic bias into full account. She was terminated hastily after sending an email asking Google to meet certain research-based conditions. Gebru is a leading expert in the field of AI and bias.
- Business Insider
- 2020
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- 5 min
- Business Insider
- 2020
One of Google’s leading AI researchers says she’s been fired in retaliation for an email to other employees
This article tells the story of Timnit Gebru, a Google employee who was fired after Google refused to take her research on machine learning and algorithmic bias into full account. She was terminated hastily after sending an email asking Google to meet certain research-based conditions. Gebru is a leading expert in the field of AI and bias.
How can tech monopolies dismiss recommendations to make their technologies more ethical? How do bias ethicists such as Gebru get onto a more unshakeable platform? Who is going to hold tech monopolies more accountable? Should these monopolies even by trying to fix their current algorithms, or might it be better to just start fresh?
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- 4 min
- Reuters
- 2020
Facebook has a new independent Oversight Board to help moderate content on the site, picking individual cases from the many presented to them where it is alright to remove content. The cases usually deal in hate speech, “inappropriate visuals,” or misinformation.
- Reuters
- 2020
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- 4 min
- Reuters
- 2020
From hate speech to nudity, Facebook’s oversight board picks its first cases
Facebook has a new independent Oversight Board to help moderate content on the site, picking individual cases from the many presented to them where it is alright to remove content. The cases usually deal in hate speech, “inappropriate visuals,” or misinformation.
How much oversight do algorithms or networks with a broad impact need? Who all needs to be in a room when deciding what an algorithm or site should or should not allow? Can algorithms be designed to detect and remove hate speech? Should such an algorithm exist?
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- 3 min
- TechCrunch
- 2020
This short article details a pledge inspired by the practices of the French government for tech monopolies to be more responsible in the areas of taxes and privacy. As of 2020, many have signed onto this initiative.
- TechCrunch
- 2020
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- 3 min
- TechCrunch
- 2020
Dozens of tech companies sign ‘Tech for Good Call’ following French initiative
This short article details a pledge inspired by the practices of the French government for tech monopolies to be more responsible in the areas of taxes and privacy. As of 2020, many have signed onto this initiative.
What does accountability for tech monopolies look like? Who should offer robust challenges to these companies, and who actually has the power to do so?
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- 5 min
- Gizmodo
- 2020
The data privacy of employees is at risk under a new “Productivity Score” program started by Microsoft, in which employers and administrators can use Microsoft 365 platforms to collect several metrics on their workers in order to “optimize productivity.” However, this approach causes unnecessary stress for workers, beginning a surveillance program in the workplace.
- Gizmodo
- 2020
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- 5 min
- Gizmodo
- 2020
Microsoft’s Creepy New ‘Productivity Score’ Gamifies Workplace Surveillance
The data privacy of employees is at risk under a new “Productivity Score” program started by Microsoft, in which employers and administrators can use Microsoft 365 platforms to collect several metrics on their workers in order to “optimize productivity.” However, this approach causes unnecessary stress for workers, beginning a surveillance program in the workplace.
How are excuses such as using data to “optimize productivity” employed to gather more data on people? How could such a goal be accomplished without the surveillance aspect? How does this approach not account for a diversity of working methods?
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- 35 min
- Wired
- 2021
In this podcast, interviewees share several narratives which discuss how certain technologies, especially digital photo albums, social media sites, and dating apps, can change the nature of relationships and memories. Once algorithms for certain sites have an idea of what a certain user may want to see, it can be hard for the user to change that idea, as the Pinterest wedding example demonstrates. When it comes to photos, emotional reactions can be hard or nearly impossible for a machine to predict. While dating apps do not necessarily make a profit by mining data, the Match monopoly of creating different types of dating niches through a variety of apps is cause for some concern.
- Wired
- 2021
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- 35 min
- Wired
- 2021
How Tech Transformed How We Hook Up—and Break Up
In this podcast, interviewees share several narratives which discuss how certain technologies, especially digital photo albums, social media sites, and dating apps, can change the nature of relationships and memories. Once algorithms for certain sites have an idea of what a certain user may want to see, it can be hard for the user to change that idea, as the Pinterest wedding example demonstrates. When it comes to photos, emotional reactions can be hard or nearly impossible for a machine to predict. While dating apps do not necessarily make a profit by mining data, the Match monopoly of creating different types of dating niches through a variety of apps is cause for some concern.
How should algorithms determine what photos a specific user may want to see or be reminded of? Should machines be trusted with this task at all? Should users be able to take a more active role in curating their content in certain albums or sites, and would most users even want to do this? Does the existence of dating apps drastically change the nature of dating? How could creating a new application which introduces a new dating “niche” ultimately serve a tech monopoly?
Gadget Lab: Breaking Up, Hooking Up-
- 5 min
- ABC News
- 2020
The United States government is pushing its interest in breaking up the tech monopoly that is Facebook, hoping to restore some competition in the social networking and data selling market which the company dominates. Facebook, of course, is resistant to these efforts.
- ABC News
- 2020
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- 5 min
- ABC News
- 2020
Facebook hit with antitrust lawsuit from FTC and 48 state attorneys general
The United States government is pushing its interest in breaking up the tech monopoly that is Facebook, hoping to restore some competition in the social networking and data selling market which the company dominates. Facebook, of course, is resistant to these efforts.
What role did data collection and use play in Facebook’s rise as a monopoly power? What would breaking up this monopoly accomplish? Will users achieve more data privacy if one large company does not own several platforms on which users communicate?