What is Ethical Technology?
How should we think about the ethical implications of new technologies, products, and services? What is the right way to design products and services that are more equitable, inclusive, and used to create a positive impact?
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that concerns the morally correct way to do things. In designing this minor I selected courses in a variety of subjects that explore the philosophy, history, implications, and design of technology. Literature and media are a lens to explore empathy and conceptualize the consequences of tech. Applied Philosophy courses provide a framework to ask questions and understand the nature of technology. Social impact design coursework explores the principles of product development with a focus on empathy and stakeholder mapping.
Why I Studied Ethical Technology
I’m interested in working as a product manager in the tech industry, working on iterating, building, and launching new products. Product Management frameworks and courses talk about considerations of user experience, software engineering, and marketing, but not about the larger implications of the products we build. Incidents like Cambridge Analytica and Theranos demonstrate the significance of ethical technology and the long-term effects tech companies can have.
As product designers, we are responsible for the process, consideration, and consequences of the products we build. We need to understand how to ask the right questions, consider a breadth of perspectives other than our own, and probe deeper into the effects of our actions and intentions.
Course Work
