Stephanie Hare is a researcher, broadcaster and author. She is well known in the data/technology community but manages to bring the complex issues around ethics and technology to life in a way that speaks to those in, and beyond, that community. And this is exactly the point. The issues raised in this timely book are not for certain professions or sectors, they are for all of us. Too often discussions exclude (intentionally and unintentionally) significant parts of our communities. Hare has a gift for making language accessible and ethical issues understandable whilst steering clear of being either patronising or overly technical. In this book, Hare explores what technology ethics is, how it can be applied and what outcomes we should expect and demand.
We hear much talk (and indeed engage in a great deal of it ourselves at the ODPA) about a culture shift; a need to ‘mainstream’ conversations, awareness and engagement about data, technology, the impact on human beings and the role we need to play. This book seems to be a perfect example of that culture shift in action. I have heard it described as a ‘beach read’ because of its engaging and honest style but there is a serious point to be made – that if we are impacted, we need to have a voice. We can only have a voice if we understand and are part of the conversation. As Hare highlights: “To claim our power requires a mental shift”. Certainly, that mental shift needs to come from those who already have power, but – critically - it must also come from further afield – from each and every one of us.
Technology is now ubiquitous - whether we like it or not, whether we understand it or not, whether we know about it or not. Discussions around its use, especially in the context of ethical frameworks, should not therefore be the exclusive domain of a small number of people. Hare highlights the enormous potential humankind has to use technology in a responsible and ethical way. She also reminds us that it will only happen if we make it so. None of us should be excluded because we are not lawyers or technologists. All of us should be included because we are all human beings.
“The good news is that we do not need to be scientists, social scientists or technologists to do this. We all have a part to play in shaping values and culture. While the challenges, risks and threats that face us are many and often daunting we are not powerless against them.”
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