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DO NO HARM
Do technologists need a code of ethics?
Sofia Woods - Experience Designer
@sofiadisrupts

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In 2017, an MIT researcher was doing analysis on
facial recognition software for a project.
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It was late, she was getting frustrated because she
couldn’t get the software to recognise her face.
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Her friends convinced her to take a break.
It was halloween, she bought a costume mask, and
went out.
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Hours later, coming back to her computer...
...she kept trying but still nothing worked.
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Then she had an idea...
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Joy Buolamwini
Computer scientist
Poet and digital activist
PhD Student, MIT Media Lab
TED talk: Joy Buolamwini, Fighting Algorithmic Bias

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Arts and Culture

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Ain’t I a Woman

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TECHNOLOGY IS NOT NEUTRAL
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● Voice tech reinforces the master/servant
dynamic
● The gendering reinforces women in servitude
roles
● It doesn’t respond appropriately to abuse
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VOICE ASSISTANTS:
IS ALEXA NEUTRAL?
Recoding Voice Technology, Is a Feminist Alexa Possible?

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TECHNOLOGY IS NOT NEUTRAL
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HOW BIASES ENTER
There are multiple levels
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INDUSTRY LEVEL DATA LEVEL
© 2020 ThoughtWorks
PERSONAL LEVEL

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REDUCING HARM
IS ABOUT EFFECTIVELY
MANAGING RISK
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ACTING ETHICALLY IS
ABOUT MANAGING
HARM

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A CONSCIENTIOUS DESIGNER
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ROLE OF THE
CONSCIENTIOUS
DESIGNER
● Know that they have the power to shape people’s
engagement with technology through their
values
● Know that digital technologies embody ethical
and political values
● By accepting this means they can consider
ethical and political concerns alongside typical
design and engineering ideals/practises
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Mary Flanagan and Helen Nissenbaum, Values at Play in Digital Games

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Who do you work for?

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Conscientious designers...
“work for the people affected by the problem. Under
no circumstances do we put those people at risk. “
- Mike Monteiro (Ruined by Design)

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“We need to value the consequences of our
actions more than the cleverness of our ideas”
Mike Monteiro, Ruined by Design

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CODE OF
ETHICS
Set of guiding principles to
assist us make sound
professional judgements
22© 2020 ThoughtWorks
A Designer’s Code of Ethics - Mule Design

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NUREMBERG CODE
23© ThoughtWorks 2020
1. Voluntary human consent is essential
2. Experiment results should benefit society
3. Experiments should be based on animal experimentation,
anticipated results should justify the experiment or research
4. Avoid any unnecessary physical or mental suffering
5. An experiment shouldn’t be run if there’s any chance of
death/disability
6. Minimise risk of subjects
7. Proper preparations and facilities to protect people
8. Experiments conducted only by qualified persons
9. Subjects can withdraw/terminate at anytime
10. Terminate experiment if results are known or with best judgement
Signaled modern medical ethics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trials

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A DESIGNER’S
CODE OF ETHICS
24© ThoughtWorks 2020
1. A designer is first and foremost a human being.
2. A designer is responsible for the work they put into the world.
3. A designer values impact over form.
4. A designer owes the people who hire them not just their labour, but their
counsel.
5. A designer welcomes criticism.
6. A designer strives to know their audience.
7. A designer does not believe in edge cases.
8. A designer is part of a professional community.
9. A designer welcomes a diverse and competitive field.
10. A designer takes time for self-reflection.
https://muledesign.com/2017/07/a-designers-code-of-ethics

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If we were to have a code...
“applying the Code to your daily work doesn’t mean
just reading it once, but considering it holistically”
https://www.infoq.com/articles/acm-code-ethics/

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Gaps Between Intention + Output
26© ThoughtWorks 2019
VISION + INTENTION
Terms +
Conditions
Consent
FINAL OUTPUT
Terms +
Conditions
Terms +
Conditions
IMPLEMENTATION
Consent Consent

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ETHICS
APPLICATIONS
Framework from an industry
governing body to help research
meet ethical guidelines.
27© 2020 ThoughtWorks

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SAMPLE ETHICS
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
28© ThoughtWorks 2020
1. Data Collection/Gathering: What information are you going to
collect/gather?
2. Data Collection/Gathering: Impact of, and response, to participant
withdrawal (opt out?)
3. Data Management: How will you store, provide access to, disclose,
use/re-use, transfer, destroy or archive the information that you collect/gather?
4. Data Analysis: How will you measure, manipulate and/or analyse the
information that you collect/gather?
5. Other potential uses: what other uses outside of this project will the data be
used for?

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ETHICAL TECH
FRAMEWORKS
Activities and processes to
help assess products,
features and decisions in
technology.
29© 2020 ThoughtWorks

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30© ThoughtWorks 2020

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EthicalOS
● Toolkit to help shape strategy or tech
● Assess your product against 8 risk zones
● Activities to address better informed outcomes
● Useful in pre-conception and discovery
WHAT IT IS?
31Reference: EthicalOS

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ACTIVITY: YOUR TURN
32© 2020 ThoughtWorks

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Let’s all practise being ‘conscientious designers’

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SCENARIO
You’re tasked with creating a new automated voice system for a major
telecommunications company.
The voice AI will handle all calls to customers who are overdue to remind
them of payment and negotiate a payment plan if needed.
The company wants to utilise Google’s Natural Language AI (Duplex). Early
testing has shown it’s sophisticated enough to use and will integrate well
with current systems.
35© 2020 ThoughtWorks

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GOALS
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It’s been identified that $1.5M/ year is spent on direct administration costs
associated with managing late payments.
Main Objective is to Reduce Operational Costs
© 2020 ThoughtWorks

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ACTIVITY 1: PARKING LOT
Individual activity (2mins)

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ACTIVITY 2: CHOOSE
Choose risk areas (5mins)

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ACTIVITY 3: DISCUSS
Discuss risk areas (15mins)

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NEXT STEPS
Prioritise and strategise

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Responsible Tech Playbook
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Rather than considering how we can reduce harm.
How can we actively do good?

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QUESTIONS?
44© 2020 ThoughtWorks

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● https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/joy-buolamwini-examining-racial-and-gender-bias-in-facial-analysis-software-b
arbican-centre/LgKCaNKAVWQPJg?hl=en
● https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/02/08/770174171/when-bias-is-coded-into-our-technology
● http://news.mit.edu/2018/study-finds-gender-skin-type-bias-artificial-intelligence-systems-0212
● http://proceedings.mlr.press/v81/buolamwini18a/buolamwini18a.pdf
● https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2019/08/240757/meal-tracking-apps-eating-disorder
PHOTO CREDITS +
SOURCES

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ACTIVITY 2: PRIORITISE
Prioritise risks (5 mins)

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1. Use the checklists to choose the risk most
critical
2. Once identify them write and put on post its
3. Write the questions/prompts and put them
underneath risks
○ Discuss questions
○ Put outcomes on wall
PRIORITISE ACTIVITY
PRIORITISE RISKS
5min

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ACTIVITY 3: STOP OR GO
Should you continue? (5 mins)

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● What is the overall impact you’ve identified?
● ?????
STOP OR GO
SHOULD YOU CONTINUE?