Technology Ethics: The Ethical Digital Technology Trilogy
Posted on: May 3, 2023
By Simon Rogerson
The Trilogy
The Ethical Digital Technology Trilogy consists of three titles (Imagine! Ethical Digital Technology for Everyone, Ethical Digital Technology in Practice and The Evolving Landscape of Ethical Digital Technology) and is authored by Professor Simon Rogerson. It is a world first. It is the product of the author’s research stretching back to 1995. As such it is a ground-breaking synthesis drawing on a plethora of historical evidence while firmly focused on the future. It explores the landscape of digital technology from a social-impact perspective. The contrasting approaches in the three books allow access to this landscape by everyone; academics, practitioners and the public at large, regardless of age. The key message is that digital ethics should underpin and indeed drive the development and use of digital technology. The trilogy’s three interrelated perspectives provide a unique holistic view of how society is becoming increasingly dependent on digital technology and how this dependency must be managed to ensure societally positive rather than societally negative outcomes.
Book 1: The Evolving Landscape of Ethical Digital Technology
Digital Technology is now part of everyday life – it was not always so. This amazing technology has the potential to empower, to connect and to include but alas this is not always the case as, at times, it restricts, excludes and divides. The book explores this paradox through an anthology written over twenty five years. It teases out the ethical and social impacts of technological development and application. It highlights the lessons learnt and those still to be learnt. The readings are grouped into five parts; technological journey, process of development, digital technology products, digital ethics education and future prospects. It is an exploration of how to ensure digital technology is for everyone by everyone.
In a world that is awash in ubiquitous technology, even the least tech-savvy know that we must take care how that technology affects individuals and society. That governments and organizations around the world now focus on these issues, that universities and research institutes in many different languages dedicate significant resources to study the issues, and that international professional organizations have adopted standards and directed resources toward ethical issues in technology is in no small part the result of the work of Simon Rogerson.
Chuck Huff, Professor of Social Psychology at Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
Book 2: Ethical Digital Technology in Practice
Digital Technology is about people. It is about those who plan, develop and implement applications which other people use and are affected by. It is about the impact on all these people as well as on the world at large. This book explores these impacts over time, from a practical perspective and discusses ways in which to promote ethical digital technology through good practice. It draws upon the author’s published articles in trade magazines, professional journals and online blogs. These are synthesized into a blueprint which addresses, in a practical manner, the societal issues surrounding the increasing use and abuse of digital technology.
This is an important book. Ethics is not an easy topic, and arguably the ethics of IT is less so—not least due to its potential for developing and evolving in ways that are either unforeseen or unimaginable . . . . Use this book as a practical resource, an informative and educational source of material in developing expertise, but also as an invaluable toolkit to support practical application of ethical thinking.
Declan Brady, President of the Irish Computer Society and a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies
Book 3: Imagine! Ethical Digital Technology For Everyone
Our dependency on digital technology keeps growing. Are we happy with this? Do we understand the positives and negatives of being so dependent? This book will help everyone to better understand these issues through the use of stories, pictures and poems which explore the world of digital technology. The aim is to demystify and encourage the reader to reflect on how to get the best out of digital technology, but not at the expense of others or of the world at large. This unique book has something for everyone regardless of age, background or technological awareness. It will help to give the reader the confidence to challenge societally unacceptable and promote societally beneficial digital technology offerings.
You will find in this book a fascinating critical analysis about digital technology from a humanistic perspective. . . . . You will enjoy pictures, poems, stories, and quotations that should encourage selfreflection and community discussion about your real life, your digital life, and the role of technology in society. . . . . This book is oriented towards anyone and everyone, breaking the academic and professional barriers thereby increasing universal awareness of the importance of the ethical concerns surrounding digital technology.
Mario Arias Oliva, Profesor Titular de Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
An exhibition: The Impact of Digital Technology Across the World and Across Society
The exhibition was first staged at the British Science Festival and is now in Buxton until the end of March 2023. It is planned to tour the UK further (enquiries about this should be directed to Simon Rogerson) and it will be taken around Spanish universities as part of a Smart Technology initiative.
Veronica Ashby wrote for the Buxton Advertiser on 5 March, “This amazing exhibition is a pictorial representation of the impact digital technology, e.g. the internet, social media, etc., may have on our everyday lives. Simon shares his deepest and academic insights with us to bring our attention to the benefits and pitfalls of an all too fast-growing technology that we use in our everyday lives. He provides a step-by-step guide to help the layperson (such as me) to get to grips with the ideology behind the content of his exhibition. It is an outstanding exhibition that provokes ‘Food for Thought’ and deserves a place in local, national and international galleries.”
Biography
Simon Rogerson has an industrial and academic background. He became Europe’s first Professor in Computer Ethics in 1998 and in 2010 became lifetime Professor Emeritus in Computer Ethics at De Montfort University, UK. He was the founding Director of the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility (CCSR), launching it in 1995 at the first ETHICOMP conference which he conceived and co-directed until 2013. He was the founder and editor until 2021 of the Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society. He sits on several international ICT-related advisory boards and has served on governing bodies in education and ICT.
Details of the trilogy: