Profs & Pints San Francisco: The Big Reboot—Tech for Good

Profs and Pints San Francisco presents: “The Big Reboot—Tech for Good” on the emergence of a human-focused technology sector as a rebellion against big tech’s evils with Deb Donig lecturer at the University of California-Berkeley co-founder of the Cal Poly Ethical Technology Initiative and host of the Technically Human podcast.

A profound shift occurred in how society views technology occurred In the wake of the 2016 election and the Cambridge Analytica scandal. What emerged wasn't just criticism of the tech industry but the rise of an entirely new category of jobs dedicated to making technology serve human values.

Join Deb Donig a scholar of the intersection of technology ethics and the culture of the Silicon Valley for an eye-opening look at the “techlash” as one of the most significant but under-examined movements of our time.

She’ll discuss how the Silicon Valley’s utopian thinking has produced dystopian results with many tech products envisioned as tools to "make the world a better place" ending up somehow making it worse. In exploring why this happened she’ll argue that a “technological grotesque” emerges when our most sublime technological achievements simultaneously distort the human values they claim to serve.

We’ll look at how the Obama-era celebration of digital technology’s potential to serve our needs gave way to a sobering recognition of its technology's capacity for harm leading to calls to somehow reconcile society’s need for democratic deliberation and ethical oversight with the Silicon Valley's “move fast and break things" mentality.

We'll explore why do so many tech products envisioned as tools to "make the world a better place" ended up making it somehow worse. Dr. Donig will argue that a “technological grotesque” emerges when our most sublime technological achievements simultaneously distort the human values they claim to serve.

Drawing from original research tracking thousands of jobs over five years Dr. Donig will map the rise and evolution of a “techlash workforce.” She’ll discuss what “tech for good” really looks like as well as how it can succeed and what obstacles get in the way of workers who want better outcomes for tech products and users. 

This talk isn't just about jobs. It’s about how society grapples with powerful innovations' unintended consequences. Examining the emergence of a “techlash” workforce offers crucial insights into whether we can build a future where technology truly serves human flourishing. You’ll find this talk essential if you’re a tech worker policymaker student or just a citizen trying to understand how we got here and where we're headed. (Tickets available only online. Advance tickets: $13.50 plus processing fees. Doors: $17 or $15 with a student ID. Doors open at 5:30 and the talk begins at 6:30. Parking available nearby at the Mason O'Farrell garage.)

Image: Photo by Paul Inkles / Creative Commons

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