I speak and teach on the topic of digital ethics, and help my clients realise the value of good-hearted tech in all endeavors. I apply a human rights perspective to the field of human-computer interaction, showing how it's possible to build tech that promotes wellbeing, or resist when it doesn't.
“I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values, and follow my own moral compass, then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” — Michelle Obama Cherish your secrets Do you have a secret that you've told no-one?...
The idea of addiction to new technology often leads to polarized debates. In this post I bring attention to both perspectives and ask the question: does it matter how many people are being hurt?
The date was September 26, 1983. I was nine years old. Stanislav Petrov was 44 years old. Around my age today. He was working his second straight shift in the control room of the Soviet nuclear early-warning system Oko. Suddenly came what was the greatest fear of the cold war,...
In April of 2019 the AI Now Institute [https://ainowinstitute.org/] of New York University published the research paper DISCRIMINATING SYSTEMS — Gender, Race, and Power in AI [https://ainowinstitute.org/discriminatingsystems.pdf]. The report concluded that there is a diversity crisis in the AI sector across gender and race. The...
As part of the feedback and reactions to my recent post on the Dangers of Nir Eyal’s books [https://axbom.com/nir-eyal-habit-danger/], I received a very relevant question. It relates to how we as designers architect the choices that are available to users, and thereby influence their decision-making. How...
Hired as a speaker throughout Silicon Valley and the international tech world, Nir Eyal’s appeal and influence cannot be ignored. He wrote the book that outlines a technique helping companies create products and services that tap into the psychology of habits. The book, Hooked – How to Create Habit-Forming Products,...
Information stored on phones is increasingly used in court cases and to determine the trustworthiness and honesty of people seeking to enter another country. So what happens when the source of the information is someone else entirely, and you had no intention of saving it on your phone or even...
At the Adobe 99U conference there was an on-stage conversation between author Courtney E. Martin and Tim Brown [https://99u.adobe.com/videos/63722/tim-brown-engage-with-the-unknown], CEO of design firm IDEO. During the interview they touched upon the topic of ethics. Author and design consultant Kim Goodwin reacted to the exchange...
Slides and workbook for EuroIA 18 workshop