Within digitisation, we do not want to talk only about price and functionalities. Public values such as autonomy, humanity and justice will have to be weighed and balanced. That way, as a sector, we stay in control.
Responsible tech: this is how we ensure new technologies meet public values
Responsible Tech: On Public Values and Emerging Technologies is an exploration of responsible decisions in the digital transformation of education and research. This is needed as the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and eXtended reality (XR) sets in motion massive changes. With this paper, we aim to facilitate the conversation. What is desirable for the near and distant future of education and research? And, where do we collectively want to go as an education and research sector?
Using emerging technologies with an eye on public values
Emerging technologies are new technologies for which we do not yet know exactly how they will develop or what applications will emerge from them. That these technologies take into account our public values is not a given.
Responsible tech looks at how we can achieve that. Namely, it merges the discussion around public values with the specific challenges posed by new technologies.
Situation outline and recommendations for getting started with responsible tech
This discussion paper from SURF not only outlines the current situation, in which there are both rapid advances and high risks. It also provides an overview of the current situation. It also provides a clear step-by-step plan with which institutions can shape their own responsibility and make an informed start with responsible tech.
Here, responsibility is not a theoretical concept, but a practical skill. For each of the steps towards responsible tech, the paper offers concrete tools that you can immediately try out in practice.
How do we ensure that the applications we develop and use work according to our values? How can we take responsibility for the impact of applications on end users? And how do we make sure we include these questions in our innovation processes?
If you want to think further about these and other questions around responsible tech, download the discussion paper Responsible Tech: On Public Values and Emerging Technologies via the link below.
Image created using Midjourney with the prompt "Education and research institutions learning with technology and public values."