2024 Reports

Ethics in Media, Technology, and Design: Case Studies

Scherling, Laura S.; Povolny, Mariel; Gleeman, Claire; Ray, Sagarika; Jiang, Joyce; Lam, Katelyn; Fang, Wen; Green, Nicola; Korbey, Allie

Technological evolution happens at a break-neck pace and widespread adoption of emerging technologies often happens prior to thorough ethical evaluation. In a world where efficiency is critical, prioritizing ethical considerations alongside innovation is a precarious balancing act. Examining externalities for both users and society, the authors in this volume explore existing solutions to a selection of urgent ethical dilemmas in technology use, and propose their own design, policy, and education-based solutions. Their ideas are grounded in ethical frameworks. This collection brings to the fore nascent and complex challenges, forcing us to consider questions like: How much information shared about our personal health is too much? Can AI outperform doctors? Do everyday apps like Google Maps compromise our privacy? What becomes of our online identities after we pass away? In all, this rich collection of real-world studies showcases a broad and complex array of challenges, many of which manifest in our daily lives.