Digitalisation; The ethical dilemmas for society

This is a joint event with MMU and ICAEW.

The seismic developments currently taking place in AI and algorithms are both exciting and morally concerning. What happens when machines do our thinking and decision-making for us? Where does the buck stop and who is accountable? And what can the accounting & finance industry bring to this most complex of ethical dilemmas?

Ethics has become a hot topic in tech in the last year or two, and it’s not hard to see why. The Cambridge Analytica scandal and reported bias in recruitment and financial services algorithms are just a few examples of the issues resulting from new technology use.

This is harming people in the real world, as well as reducing trust and confidence in businesses. So getting to grips with these issues is vital if we are to protect people, safeguard professional reputations and maximise the potential benefits from technology.

Taking an ethical approach can help businesses increase confidence that they are ‘doing the right things’ with technology. Ethics translates moral philosophy into practical principles so it can help businesses to focus on the good they can do with technology and avoid potential harms.

In this session we will look at;

• Strategy: Why is an ethical approach important? How committed is the board to ethics around technology? What are the risks of failing to consider ethics? How does the business model balance ethical considerations with other interests?
• Specific technology uses: How do you incorporate ethical considerations into decisions about technology? To what extent do you check that systems are doing what is expected and not producing biased outputs?
• Accountability: How does the board approach ethics issues and who is responsible for leading in this area? How is accountability spread between users and technology specialists? How are employees empowered to stand up to what they see as unethical practices? How do you communicate your ethics to stakeholders and wider society and gain feedback on it?

Speakers

Giles Cuthbert - Managing Director at Chartered Banker Institute

Paul Raby - Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University