The Data Ethics Organization

Data, or “Big Data” is used throughout society, by businesses, governments, and law enforcement. It’s used to make decisions about whether jobs are offered, whether loans are approved, and how much companies charge for merchandise. It is used to detect crimes like fraud, to identify perpetrators of violent crime, and to track down alleged criminals. In some cases, it is used to recommend sentencing for convicted criminals, or whether bail is offered to alleged criminals. It is used to enable technologies that were science fiction in our childhood, but which have the potential to change our world in fundamental ways within our lifetime. There is an expression, A bell cannot be unrung. What this means is that some actions have consequences that cannot be remedied. The effects of a decision may be irrevocable. Governments and policy-makers are making decisions today. Companies are creating and selling technologies today, which enable governments, groups, and individuals to have an outsized influence of the world, from asymmetric warfare to asymmetric information. Some of these changes will impact our lives, and the lives of our children, well into the future. We have the opportunity to shape those changes today. We have the responsibility to shape those changes today.