goodbot discovery
From communications to medicine to transportation to computing, advances in every sector are ushering in a world that is materially different - and in some ways unrecognizable - from the one we inhabited even 5 years ago. While many of these advances have improved our lives in countless domains, they have been accompanied by a myriad of threats and harms, intended and unintended, to individuals, communities, and society. These include unaccountable algorithms, attention-thieving social media, extremist content, disinformation, polarization, and surveillance, all of which undermine social trust and democracy. These are among the many harmful byproducts of a ‘Wild West’ of tech.
In response to these emerging issues, governments, tech companies, academia, media, and the nonprofit sector have begun developing tools, laws, education, and other interventions to mitigate and prevent some of these harms. While some of these have been successful, policy reform has failed to address many of these threats, and governance structures are often non-existent or unprepared.
Citizens, tech companies, engineers, social scientists, and policymakers all have a role to play in helping to rebalance this asymmetrical power dynamic to build a more responsible and humane technology ecosystem that can bring out the better angels of our nature and address today's most pressing challenges.
The range of ethical challenges posed by tech and the disparate responses to them are varied and complex. There is a greater need than ever for a cohesive and coordinated approach to ensuring technology benefits all.
no good tech without ethical tech
GoodBot envisions open, healthy, inclusive, and democratic societies where our technology ecosystems promote constructive discourse, serve the public interest, and foster our abilities to address the more pressing issues of our time. To succeed, this new digital ecosystem needs to foster new norms, governance structures, business models, and incentives.
GoodBot aims to become a recognized leader in developing research on innovative approaches to tech governance. We will also build a strong pipeline of non-technologist stakeholders who are engaged in technology businesses, including students, business leaders, civil society organizations, policymakers, and citizens who can approach these questions critically to help move towards a more humane and equitable digital world. We also prioritize bringing global perspectives to conversations on humane and responsible technology to ensure that they are diverse, inclusive and reflect traditionally under-represented voices and ideas. We aim to promote a culture of innovation towards developing new and responsive governance frameworks that can meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
discovery
Goodbot will conduct a discovery process on the state of technology governance in 2022. This process will include a literature review focusing on key trends related to AI ethics, governance, structures, and processes. We will also explore existing governance models that can shed light on the way forward.
In tandem with this exercise, we will conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise to understand whose voices are shaping the conversation today and flag the voices that are missing. We will also conduct interviews and discussion tables with subject-matter experts on current and emerging trends in technology ethics, responsible tech, technology harms, policies, and governance. We will consult with interdisciplinary subject-matter experts from a wide range of fields including the non-profit sector, law, social sciences, technology, public policy, and business.
