value of data: the worth of ethics · misuse of technology, bringing human dignity back into...

Value of Data:The Worth of Ethics

June 2020

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Copyright / DMA (2020) 02

Value of Data: The Worth of Ethics

Contents

The Value of Data � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �03

About the Author� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �04

A Word From our Sponsor � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �05

Introduction � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 07

Why the buzz? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �08

Changing the narrative � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10

Ethical debt � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �12

Unlocking innovation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �14

Understanding the tools � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �16

Summary � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �18

About the DMA � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �20

Copyright and disclaimer � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �21



About the Campaign

A campaign born in Scotland – and led by DMA Scotland – we join forces with partners and advocates across the UK to reshape the understanding of the true worth of information. We want to elevate and champion the role of data through this campaign – from the classroom to the boardroom – and help organisations responsibly deliver value to their customers. We will create an engaging, navigable roadmap through a challenging ethical and legal landscape that allows bold, innovative, and data-led approaches to customer engagement to thrive. And we’ll do it all with a future-focused, nurturing approach to local and young talent.

Find out more about the Value of Data campaign, here.

The Value of Data

https://dma.org.uk/value-of-data



Olivia Gambelin is an AI Ethicist and the Founder and CEO of Ethical Intelligence, where she leads a remote team of over thirty experts in the Tech Ethics field. She sits on the Advisory Board of Tech Scotland Advocates and actively contributes to the development of AI Ethics in business through keynote speaking and thought pieces.

Olivia Gambelin

About the Author

Ethical Intelligence puts ethics into action to create responsible technology for a better tomorrow. By tapping into the interdisciplinary knowledge of EI’s exclusive Expert Network, we are able to deliver bespoke and holistic solutions to match the specific challenges our clients face in the developing field of AI Ethics. We strive to educate and equip companies by providing AI Ethics Training, Ethics Risk Audits, and Custom Ethics Protocols, resulting in our clients’ ability to mitigate ethical risks while gaining a competitive edge in the market.

We are bringing human values into the equation, so we can create responsible technology, now and in the future.

Ethical Intelligence



A Word From our Sponsor

As a global leader in People-Based Marketing, we are continuously challenged to utilise data and technology to drive value for consumers, which in turn drives value for our clients.

However, this landscape is constantly changing – technologies, data sources, consumer attitudes, and regulations are all moving targets. Consumers have never been more aware of the ethical position of the brands they interact with and purchase from. We have seen time and again that brands with purpose thrive today and brands committing ethical breaches will be gone tomorrow.

And the riches associated with AI and data have never been more attractive. Whether through the ability to build a new proposition or the ability to deliver more efficiently through AI. The prize is massive and capitalist economics places emphasis on progress at all cost.

This creates a dichotomy for brands: they must all be actively harnessing the benefits of data and AI while ensuring they don’t cross what is currently a poorly defined line into ethical debt.

We are very pleased to support the DMA in driving cross-industry collaboration on data and ethics. And with the Value of Data campaign we see a great opportunity to drive education, which can only serve to help data and marketing professionals and brands everywhere.

Ben Gott SVP, Analytics & Strategy EMEA, Merkle

An Introduction to the Value of Data in the Digital Economy

06Copyright / DMA (2019)



At the DMA, we have a fundamental belief that if we do what is right for our customers, we will do the same for our businesses and societies. But what does ‘right’ mean? And what does it mean today? Questions once reserved for the intellectual and religious elite have now gone mainstream.

However, this move to the mainstream is double edged. On the one hand, we hear stories of how AI and the machines are going to take over the world. On the other, we have an opportunity to truly embrace data as a force for good. While GDPR has set a baseline, does the law really help us deal with ethical challenges and rebuild much-needed trust?

Data can only be a true force for good if underpinned by trust. This is clearly demonstrated through the recent challenges around adoption of the Covid-19 contact tracing app. The public is fearful of the Government misusing their data. If the public does not trust the Government enough to download the app, its full potential to do good is thwarted.

Apps such as this could help with social distancing and reducing transmission of the virus. For instance, supermarkets and transport providers could utilise them to show the public when services are quieter. In this context, as long as the data processor and controllers are using the data for its rightful purpose, this data would be used ethically as a force for good.

It seems that people are stuck choosing between the ethical principle of privacy and technological development that has the potential to better our quality of life. But do we have to choose between the two? Is it possible to create tech we can trust and, if yes, how?

This is where the DMA is a very good friend. Since its beginning, the DMA has set the gold standard for doing things ethically in the world of data and marketing through its revered DMA code. Every member is audited against the code to ensure that those who join the DMA are doing what is right by customers.

The Value of Data campaign takes things one step further. Through papers like this one, lectures, and webinars, we will help you navigate the complex and nuanced world of AI ethics, showing how data, AI, tech, people, and ethics can help you achieve your ambitions.

Firas Khnaisser Head of decisioning, Standard Life Aberdeen Chair of DMA Scotland

Introduction



Ethics seems to have transitioned from a background philosophical debate to being thrown into the forefront of technological development, all within a matter of a few years. Nowadays, we cannot get through a tech conference without references to ethics, and any company looking to keep pace with the break-neck speeds of development has some article or another written on the influence ethics is having on the tech sector. Ethics has always been there, so why the sudden urgency to incorporate it into our technology?

The answer is that the technology we create today can impact millions tomorrow. This means we have the power to improve lives on a scale larger than ever before, but we are only now beginning to comprehend the responsibility that comes alongside this power.

Ethics is an essential component to society: it shapes our behaviors and keeps our conduct in check, which preserves peace and humanity. However, unethical actions disrupt this peace, as we have seen with recent media headlines broadcasting ethical scandals caused by technology misuse.

Our understanding of what it means to be human, and a functioning human in society at that, is intrinsically tied with our ability to reason between right and wrong. This means that the concept of behaving ethically is something we attach to our perception of self, and seeing how technology can be used unethically on such a grand scale threatens our humanity and peace within society.

How ethics is connected to our understanding of what it means to be human

Why the buzz?



Often, we hear the mention of ethics accompanied by a resounding groan of frustration. We tend to cast ethics as a blocker to technology, something that will only slow down our development and add yet another layer of bureaucracy to our processes. It has become synonymous with stacks of paperwork to be done out of formality or, even worse, a looming possibility that an interesting tech project will be vetoed, killed by a vague reference to ethics before ever getting off the ground.

When viewed through such a lens, ethics of course becomes a blocker. This narrative leads to the unfortunate spiral of passing responsibility to our neighbour, until no one is accountable for the ethics of a company and its technology. We do not want to be responsible for implementing ethics: that requires too much time spent checking boxes, and we become at risk as the one to blame if something goes wrong. Ethics, when seen as a blocker to technology, becomes a problem that someone else will handle while you do the important work.

If we continue to place ethics within this narrative, we risk a slow deterioration of our values to meaningless buzzwords written on walls and websites.

Thankfully, this is not the true narrative of ethics in technology. Ethics is not a blocker, rather an asset to long-term innovation for sustainable technology. When properly utilised as the powerful tool it is, ethics ensures protection from the misuse of technology, bringing human dignity back into consideration for every step of design, development, and deployment.

Ethics is an essential asset to building responsible technology. This is the true narrative of ethics, a narrative which we have the power to grow and ingrain in our everyday business and tech practices.

Changing the narrative:Ethics as an asset to technology

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE




‘Technical Debt’ is a term used to describe decisions taken early on during the development and coding process, which prioritises an expedited delivery of a system or functionality over perfecting the code. These rushed decisions lead to significant problems that must be fixed later. When steps are skipped in the beginning, the foundation of the system is weak and can often lead to complications down the line. The more frequently these decisions are made, the more technical debt is acquired.

This is a familiar term if you come from a technical background, as it offers a warning towards the risk of careless development. However, this is not the only debt that needs to be taken into consideration. Thanks to the continued growing importance and awareness of ethics in society, there is now something called ‘Ethical Debt.’

Ethical Debt works in the same way as its technical counterpart: it occurs when ethical decisions are taken early on without either an awareness that an ethical decision is being made or consideration towards the ethical implications of such a decision. Many ground-level decisions, such as choice of technologies, datasets, integration partners, and problem definitions, will have ethical components that, if gone unidentified or not considered, expose the system to high ethical risk.

To mitigate the risk posed by ethical debt, a company culture of awareness and education around what constitutes an ethical decision and how to navigate such is essential. Beyond the culture, ethical frameworks for the ethical implications of decisions throughout the life cycle of a technical system – which require consistent monitoring – provide a further layer of security against the pitfalls of ethical debt.

Ethical debt:What it is and how to mitigate its risks



ETHICAL DEPT




One of the reasons ethics has been seen as a blocker to technology is that we have the tendency to view an ethical code as a set of constraining rules. We have the misconception that true innovation can only be achieved when we are given a blank canvas to do whatever we like with: no restrictions, nothing to hold us back from turning our most wild idea into reality. The misconception that free-reign is a requirement if we are going to achieve creating innovative technology.

However, what we often fail to recognise is how essential constraints are for the creative process. Without constraints, we risk falling into complacency, following the path of least resistance to the first intuitive idea that comes to mind, rather than investing the time in developing stronger, better ideas. On the other hand, when we know the restrictions we have to work with to reach our end goal, we suddenly have a creative challenge that will motivate us far beyond the initial intuition. We connect with different sources of information to generate what can only be called true innovation.

When it comes to developing responsible technology, technical constraints only tell half the story. If we truly want to unlock the full potential we have for innovation, ethical constraints are just as necessary to consider as ethical principles and protocols, which guard against moral and creative complacency. Both are more detrimental to innovation than constraints ever can be.

If we focus on limitations, then of course ethics will be a restriction that holds our innovation back, because we will be too busy fixating on what we cannot do to discover all the things we can. Instead, we need to use ethics as guiding constraints that will inspire and generate long-term innovation in our technical developments.

Unlocking innovation:How ethical constraints lead to better solutions



Although embedding ethics into your business and technological processes may at first seem like a daunting task, there are tools to help. These tools are better known as ethical frameworks, structures within ethics that we can use to help identify problem areas, dissect stakeholder reasoning, and determine the best possible solution.

There are three main frameworks: Virtue Ethics, Duty Ethics, and Consequential Ethics. Virtue Ethics concentrates on educating the individual, and how the virtues we want to achieve are a balance between vices. Duty Ethics centres on the obligations a person has following a certain set of rules, without regard to the outcomes – the famous Golden Rule being a strong example. Finally, Consequential Ethics focuses on the outcomes, or the consequences, of any given action, meaning that the action does not necessarily need to be good, so long as the outcome itself is.

Each framework is applicable to how we do business and, in turn, how we design, develop, and deploy our technology. However, it is important to understand all three, as certain situations will require the use of different frameworks. These are not blind solutions to our problems, but instead tools that enlighten our thinking and empower us to make informed decisions.

By understanding these frameworks, we have the tools needed to reason through difficult ethical dilemmas, as well as help predict potential impacts and outcomes of the decisions we make.

Understanding the tools:The importance of ethical frameworks



More than ever before, we have the power to improve lives, but we are only now beginning to understand the responsibility alongside this. The notion of behaving ethically is something we attach to our self-perception, and seeing how technology can be used unethically threatens our humanity and peace within society.

We are inclined to view ethics as something that will decrease our development and add more paperwork to our processes. When seen as a blocker to technology, ethics becomes someone else’s problem. If we continue to place ethics within this narrative, we risk a slow deterioration of our values. Ethics is not a blocker, rather an asset to long-term innovation for sustainable technology.

One reason it has been seen as the former is that we have the tendency to perceive an ethical code as a set of constraining rules. However, if we truly want to unlock the full potential we have for innovation, constraints are essential for the creative process.

To mitigate the risks posed by ethical debt, a company culture of awareness and education around what constitutes an ethical decision and how to navigate such is vital. Although embedding ethics into your business and technological processes may at first seem like a daunting task, there are three main ethical frameworks to help: Virtue Ethics, Duty Ethics, and Consequential Ethics.

When we move ethics into the mainstream and make it our responsibility, we give ourselves the opportunity to uphold our values and better our quality of life through tech we can trust.

Summary



The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) comprises the DMA, Institute of Data & Marketing (IDM) and DMA Talent.

We seek to guide and inspire industry leaders; to advance careers; and to nurture the next generation of aspiring marketers.

We champion the way things should done, through a rich fusion of technology, diverse talent, creativity, insight – underpinned by our customer-focused principles.

We set the standards marketers must meet in order to thrive, representing over 1,000 members drawn from the UK’s data and marketing landscape.

By working responsibly, sustainably and creatively, together we will drive the data and marketing industry forward to meet the needs of people today and tomorrow.

About the DMA



‘Value of Data: The Worth of Ethics 2020’ is published by the Data & Marketing Association (UK) Ltd Copyright © Data & Marketing Association (DMA). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the DMA (UK) Ltd except as permitted by the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and related legislation. Application for permission to reproduce all or part of the Copyright material shall be made to the DMA (UK) Ltd, DMA House, 70 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SS.

Although the greatest care has been taken in the preparation and compilation of this report, no liability or responsibility of any kind (to extent permitted by law), including responsibility for negligence is accepted by the DMA, its servants, or agents. All information gathered is believed correct as of June 2020. All corrections should be sent to the DMA for future editions.

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