How to Build the Good and Responsible Thing

A practical and concrete introduction to the space of digital ethics and responsible innovation for everyone who designs and builds digital products. You will learn

- why ethics is important and valuable,
- how to predict and manage harms to wellbeing, and
- the tricks that give power, autonomy and justice back to the people we wish to help

You will also begin to understand how you can be a voice of reason and gain traction for ethical thinking within your organisation.

Per promises lots of real-world examples to get to the essence of an ethical mindset.

Transcript

1. HOW TO BUILD THE GOOD AND RESPONSIBLE THING PER AXBOM • DIGITAL ETHICIST AND COMMUNICATION THEORIST • AXBOM.COM
12. 6,400 kilometers 7,200 kilometers
13. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR MAPS AND TOOLS INFLUENCE OUR THINKING AND REASONING AND PREJUDICE
16. Road space taken up by 69 people on a bus on bicycles in cars
17. in fossil-fuel cars in electric cars in self-driving cars Road space taken up by 69 people
18. Discover Define Develop Deliver
19. Discover Define Develop Deliver NORM / “MOST PEOPLE”
20. Discover Define Develop Deliver NORM / “MOST PEOPLE”
21. Discover Define Develop Deliver EDGE-CASE EDGE-CASE NORM / “MOST PEOPLE”
22. MOST PROJECTS KEEP BUILDING FOR THE AVERAGE, NON-EXISTENT, PERSON
23. We can not keep using the same maps and expect negative impact to suddenly disappear.
24. Organisation Machine Society The Elements of Digital Ethics Un- account- ability Digital obfuscation Power concen- tration Mono- culture Naive reckless- ness Algorithmic injustice Invisible decision- making Psycho- engineering Techno- solutionism Surveillance capitalism Attention economy Rule of Quantity Rampant harassment Voice suppression Exclusion Biometric abuse Behavior suppression Abuse enable- ment Ecological neglect Privacy devaluation Human Supply chain neglect Environment CC-BY-NC-SA
 Per Axbom • @axbom Digital gaslighting Worker endanger- ment Date • version
 March 1, 2021 • 1.0 Latest + Hi-Res
 axbom.com/elements Unequal access Lack of ethical ownership Ethics- washing Education defects Geographic resistance Regulation defects Permanent impact Supervision Viral
 repro-
 duction Private public spaces online AXBOM.COM/ELEMENTS
25. Using design to influence people’s behavior in a certain direction, making it harder for them to act in their own interest. The purpose is to have people act in a way that benefits the organisation regardless of a persons’s own goals. Related: Digital gaslighting - making people think any harm is their own fault. BEHAVIOR SUPPRESSION HUMAN https://axbom.com/confirmshaming/
26. Harm as a result of neglect, unwillingness or inability to consider how our creations a ect people’s wellbeing, exclude them from participation or in other ways mislead. EXCLUSION HUMAN
27. Harm as a result of sensitive information being managed in a way that helps a third party use it for purposes other than what the owners of the information have consented to, or realise they have consented to. NAIVE RECKLESSNESS ORGANISATION
28. Harm that happens as a selection of participants in a service harm others and the people responsible for the platform choose not to see or manage the conflict. RAMPANT HARASSMENT SOCIETY
29. Harm that takes place when organisations do not take responsibility for human welllbeing in the extended ecosystem required to develop or use a service or product. SUPPLY CHAIN NEGLECT AND ECOLOGICAL NEGLECT ENVIRONMENT
30. Harm happening as a result of automated decision systems are developed from a position of power and based on information that is biased or simply incorrect. Since algorithms work faster than humans, algorithmic injustice leads to more e cient execution of harmful decisions. ALGORITHMIC INJUSTICE MACHINE
31. RULE OF QUANTITY SOCIETY This omnipresent state of mind implies that if something can not be measured it does not carry worth. And the assumption that if something can be measured, it is a clear indicator of worth.
32. GETTING HURT “BY COMPUTERS” IS NOT NEW
33. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS.
34. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN.
35. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE.
36. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE. Invisibly Visibly
37. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE. Invisibly Visibly
38. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE. AI.
39. PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT BY COMPUTERS DESIGN PEOPLE. AI. Nah, it’s still people.
40. THE WEAKNESSES OF HUMAN REASONING WHY WE KEEP MAKING MODELS AND PROCESSES THAT THEN MISLEAD US
41. Unconscious Associative Fast Auto-pilot SYSTEM 1 INTUITION AND INSTINCT Takes e ort Slow Logical Lazy Indecisive SYSTEM 2 RATIONAL THINKING 95% 5% Popularised in Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
42. A HAMBURGER AND A SODA TOGETHER COST 22 SWISS FRANCS. THE HAMBURGER COSTS 20 FRANCS MORE THAN THE SODA. WHAT DOES THE SODA COST?
43. A HAMBURGER AND A SODA TOGETHER COST 22 SWISS FRANCS. 21 + 1 = 22 THE SODA COSTS 1 SWISS FRANC. THE HAMBURGER COSTS 20 FRANCS MORE THAN THAT (21).
44. Recognise your excuses for employing SYSTEM 1 IT LOOKS FINE IT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW IT IS NORMALLY OK, THERE IS NO NEED TO CHECK IT IS NOT MY/OUR RESPONSIBILITY WE ALWAYS DO IT THIS WAY THIS WAY IS QUICKER YOU DECIDE…
45. <INPUT TYPE="RESET" VALUE=“CLEAR"> SUBMIT CLEAR
47. MODELS CAN BE USEFUL. BUT WE ALSO MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE ALL WRONG.
48. DESIGN INTRODUCES UNFAMILIARITY INTO AN EXISTING ECOSYSTEM. WE DESIGN TO MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK DIFFERENTLY THAN IT DID BEFORE.
50. Physical distancing Hand- washing Population immunity Vaccine) Virus spread Quarantine Number of infections Lockdown Number of deaths Close gatherings Health system overload Medical staff falling ill Mental health distress Domestic violence Racist attacks False reporting Ignoring health advice Cancelled events Market closures Lay-offs Crime Financial distress Drug abuse If A increases then B increases A B B A If A increases then B decreases The systemic complexity of managing a pandemic Social unrest Other infections/ diseases Examples of the factors at play when looking at how to mitigate spread of disease, and how they may affect one another. The idea is that each factor must be evaluated regularly to support reflective reasoning when making plans of action. System map by Per Axbom Note! This is an example, not a complete picture. version PA03 April, 2020
51. Platforms designed to bring people closer together are creating more hate and division. Platforms designed to make people safer are putting people in harms way. Platforms designed to help people live healthier lives are giving people anxiety. Platforms designed for inspiration and fun are hurting mental wellbeing. NEGATING THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE
52. They say that if a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian rain forest, it can change the weather half a world away. If a web designer changes a button, it can change wellbeing for millions of people across the world. CLEAR
53. WE WILL ALWAYS BE IN WORK SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS RISK OF DECISIONS THAT ULTIMATELY HARM PEOPLE. THIS MEANS WE HAVE TO WORK PROACTIVELY TO MANAGE THE WEAKNESSES OF OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES.
54. WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING BUILT THAT BENEFITS MANY PEOPLE IT CAN ALSO HARM OTHER PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME.
62. THE DATA WE USE HARMS PEOPLE Black Hispanic White Asian CIS-Men CIS-Women
63. DATA IS RARELY “ANONYMOUS” Black Hispanic White Asian CIS-Men CIS-Women Transgender-men Transgender-women
64. “My transgender student’s legal name is showing on our online discussion board. How can I keep him from being outed to his classmates?” https://alistapart.com/article/trans-inclusive-design/ OUR SOURCE SYSTEMS ARE NOT ALWAYS HELPFUL
65. SPEAKING OF NAMES I CAN SAFELY ASSUME THAT A DICTIONARY OF BAD WORDS CONTAINS NO PEOPLE’S NAMES IN IT . PEOPLE HAVE EXACTLY X NAMES, FOR ANY V ALUE OF X. PEOPLE HAVE EXACTLY ONE FULL NAME WHICH THEY GO BY. PEOPLE’S NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN ANY SINGLE CHARACTER SET . PEOPLE’S NAMES ARE NOT WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS. NO MILLION PEOPLE SHARE THE SAME FULL NAME. PEOPLE HAVE NAMES. https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/
66. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160325-the-names-that-break-computer-systems THE NULL FAMILY NAME Radiolab episode
67. IF NULL THEN… IF “NULL” THEN…
68. MAYBE YOU COULD CHANGE YOUR NAME? A very real suggestion from an insurance company
70. IT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW
73. THOSE ARE JUST EDGE- CASES, NOT THE NORM OTHERS ARE ALREADY DOING IT WE’VE DONE WHAT WE CAN
74. THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS SPEAKING PARTNER WITH SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE IN ALL THIS, LET’S HOPE THEY REACH OUT TO US…
75. MEANWHILE, ON THE INTERNET
77. iNcIdeNTS OF AIrtAg MISUse Are RaRE
78. AT LEAST ROB CAN FIND HIS KEYS
83. NEW SERVICES AND APPS PROVIDE A REMOTE CONTROL FOR ABUSE. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO POLICE. ONE MAIN ACCOUNT OWNER. CAN CONTINUE LONG AFTER PEOPLE “LEAVE” A RELATIONSHIP.
84. PASSWORDS DO NOT KEEP THINGS PRIVATE. OWNING A DEVICE DOESN’T KEEP OTHERS FROM USING IT.
85. AS THE MAKERS OF DIGITAL SERVICES AND PRODUCTS, WE NEED TOOLS AND MAPS TO MANAGE AND MITIGATE OUR OWN WEAKNESSES THESE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVABLE
86. Obvious potential for negative impact
87. Obvious potential for negative impact Negative impact only discovered after it happens
88. Obvious potential for negative impact Negative impact only discovered after it happens Negative impact predicted by speculative, systematic reasoning and strategic foresight
89. Obvious potential for negative impact Negative impact only discovered after it happens Negative impact predicted by speculative, systematic reasoning and strategic foresight Negative impact predicted by involving more people with relevant experience
90. IMPACT CARDS Who? What? How? ὏
    Ability divergent ὏
    Age disfavored ὏
    Appearance disfavored ὏
    Crime/distress endurer ὏
    Ethnic minority ὏
    Faith disfavored ὏
    Gender disfavored ὏
    Illness endurer ὏
    Non-citizen ὏
    Racism endurer ὏
    Social class disfavored ὏
    Sexuality disfavored ὏
    Environment ὏
    Esteem ὏
    Finance ὏
    Health ὏
    Privacy ὏
    Relationships ὏
    Safety ὏
    Self-actualization ὏
    Self-worth ὏
    Social belonging ὏ ὏
    Dangerous defaults ὏
    False assumptions ὏
    False expectations ὏
    Excluded by design ὏
    External pressure ὏
    Lack of choice ὏
    Lack of knowledge ὏
    Lack of understanding ὏
    Sensory overload ὏
    Time constraints ὏ version 0.9 of the cards
91. 1. PERSON 2. GOAL/PROBLEM 3. ENCOUNTER Design/solution/product 4. CLIMAX 5. GAIN STORYMAPPING
92. 1. PERSON 2. GOAL/PROBLEM 3. ENCOUNTER Design/solution/product 4. CLIMAX/CRISIS 5. IMPACT/GAIN/LOSS MAPPING THE OTHER STORY
93. STORYMAPPING 1. PERSON 2. GOAL/PROBLEM 3. ENCOUNTER Design/solution/product 4. CLIMAX 5. GAIN 36 yo developer social anxiety AI therapist app Tries out exposure exercises Makes a new friend
94. MAPPING THE OTHER STORY 1. PERSON 2. GOAL/PROBLEM 3. ENCOUNTER Design/solution/product 4. CLIMAX/CRISIS 5. IMPACT/GAIN/LOSS Child Abusive parents Never helped Unloads on the AI therapist AI therapist app
95. INCLUSIVE PANDA
96. participants included excluded unwanted (non-participants) negative impact risk-zone risk zone INCLUSIVE PANDA
97. participants included excluded unwanted (non-participants) negative impact risk-zone risk zone INCLUSIVE PANDA Use to under and effects on other people than the target group.
101. IMPACT MAPPING How bad/severe is the potential outcome? How much do we contribute through what we build? How likely is it to happen? How disadvantaged are the people affected? What? Who? people who want to protect their identity abusers/attackers find them and hurt them
102. IMPACT MAPPING How bad/severe is the potential outcome? How much do we contribute through what we build? How likely is it to happen? How disadvantaged are the people affected? What? Who? people who want to protect their identity abusers/attackers find them and hurt them Use to help your organisation under and impact and prioritise activities
103. Tarot cards of Tech http://tarotcardsoftech.artefactgroup.com
104. FRICTION Force considered decisions
105. Prevent misuse / abuse FRICTION
106. You will find the password by reading the welcome information carefully. In this film you will find the password for logging in to the booking system, 5 small characters. Your username is in the confirmation e-mail. Code of conduct explained whilst giving out one letter of the password every thirty seconds. FRICTION
107. We need to do this. Hang on, I’m concerned about the impact of this decision. Maybe you have the answer. ALTERNATIVE PATHS SHORT TERM / LONG TERM ADDICTIVE CYCLES COST CONSIDERATION THE OTHER STORY REPUTATION AND TRUST PRE-SCRIPTING
108. ETHICAL DILEMMAS ARE LIKE BIRDS https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/ Everywhere Varied Di cult to spot Concentrated in particular environments Easier to spot in groups Can often be anticipated if you know where/when they tend to show up Guides and tools can help Noticed by people who are in the habit of looking for them
109. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/ GET INTO THE HABIT OF LOOKING FOR THEM!
110. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/ GET INTO THE HABIT OF LOOKING FOR THEM! Who is in the room and making the decisions? Do we really need to ask for this data? Am I sure the design pattern that worked over there also works here? What faulty assumptions are we making? Instead of making decisions FOR people, how could we actually build something differently to support people in exercising their autonomy and self-determination, to activate system 2 thinking? Am I inside an environment that supports ethical reasoning? Who do we need to talk to?
111. promotes wellbeing harmful to some harmful to some harmful to many harmful to many ETHICAL DESIGN IS NOT ABOUT STOPPING TECHNICAL INNOVATION. IT’S ABOUT INFLUENCING ITS DIRECTION. (WITH BETTER MAPS AND INDICATORS)
112. promotes wellbeing harmful to some harmful to some harmful to many harmful to many ETHICAL DESIGN IS NOT ABOUT STOPPING TECHNICAL INNOVATION. IT’S ABOUT INFLUENCING ITS DIRECTION. (WITH BETTER MAPS AND INDICATORS)
113. PREDICTION:
114. ALL COMPANIES WILL BE OUTPERFORMED BY A MORE ETHICAL VERSION CATERING TO THE EXACT SAME NEEDS.
115. ALL COMPANIES WILL BE OUTPERFORMED BY A MORE ETHICAL VERSION CATERING TO THE EXACT SAME NEEDS. YOU CAN DECIDE TO BE THAT COMPANY.
116. PER AXBOM axbom.com Remember t o be kind t o yourself Slides, links and references ! axbom.com/frontzurich