1.2. Kumail Nanjiani’s Reflections on Ethics in Tech

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Kumail Nanjiani was a star of the Silicon Valley TV Show, which was about the tech industry. He posted these reflections on ethics in tech on twitter (@kumailn) on November 1, 2017:

As a cast member on a show about tech, our job entails visiting tech companies/conferences etc. We meet ppl eager to show off new tech.

Often we’ll see tech that is scary. I don’t mean weapons etc. I mean altering video, tech that violates privacy, stuff w obv ethical issues.

And we’ll bring up our concerns to them. We are realizing that ZERO consideration seems to be given to the ethical implications of tech.

They don’t even have a pat rehearsed answer. They are shocked at being asked. Which means nobody is asking those questions.

“We’re not making it for that reason but the way ppl choose to use it isn’t our fault. Safeguard will develop.” But tech is moving so fast.

That there is no way humanity or laws can keep up. We don’t even know how to deal with open death threats online.

Only “Can we do this?” Never “should we do this? We’ve seen that same blasé attitude in how Twitter or Facebook deal w abuse/fake news.

You can’t put this stuff back in the box. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. And there are no guardians. It’s terrifying. The end.

• Kumail Nanjiani

1.2.1. Reflection questions:

• What do you think is the responsibility of tech workers to think through the ethical implications of what they are making?

• Why do you think the people who Kumail talked to didn’t have answers to his questions?