Digital Technology for People: How to empower ‘ordinary people’ Marc Steen, senior research scientist at TNO At Data Expo, Utrecht, 12 September 2024 Digital technologi es as tools for living well together Learning from ‘non- Western’ and Indigenous cultures

Ethical aspects in design and deployment of digital technologies Ethics for people who work in tech ethicsforpeoplewhoworkintech.com (basics of ethics to technologists) Digital technology for people digitaltechologyforpeople.com (basics of technology to people)

Societies, work, and lives are shaped by digital technologies. We used to be happy with the new and shiny. Not anymore. We have found that they can lead to various harms and risks.  Social media lead to polarization and corrode democracy  GenAI is used to create fake news and undermine truth  VR/AR can further manipulate people and distort reality Often, digital technologies are used to exercise power over people; e.g., to grab, hold, and monetize people’s attention.

Explore ways to design and use digital technology differently; e.g., by learning from non-Western and Indigenous cultures. Empower ‘ordinary’ people: use digital technologies as tools, promote freedom, equality, participation, and democracy. Two examples:  Māori data sovereignty (ownership and control)  Lakota sweat lodge (materials, energy, and care) To offer inspiration to do things differently. Let’s discuss how you may can integrate such ideas in your work and projects.

Treaty of Waitangi (1840), Māori data sovereignty E.g., Open Data

Building a Lakota sweat lodge, ‘In a Good Way’ E.g., Raspberry Pi

The European Enlightenment (~1600-1800) has brought us science and technology. Some assumptions (people as isolated individuals; nature as an object to be exploited) have led to problems. Therefore we can turn to ‘non-Western’ and Indigenous cultures for inspiration (Steen 2022; 2023). Empower people to act as active citizens, not as passive consumers or subjects, at the receiving end of what corporations or states deploy. This effort has roots in virtue ethics: people can use digital technology as tools to cultivate virtues in order to live well together (Vallor 2016; 2024).

 What do you think about learning from non-Western or Indigenous cultures?  What do you think about empowering people; enabling people to live well together?  Can you take any of these ideas to your own work and projects?  Ask me anything Thanks! Contact: marcsteen.nl , marc.steen@tno.nl