Ethics in the Digital World: Where We Are Now and What’s Next

Author: Kate Gromova, Yaroslav Eferin

Publisher: World Bank Blogs

Publication Year: 2021

Summary: The following article talks about how the widespread adoption of digital technologies is raising questions about ethics of data use for countries across the world. According to Aristotle, ethics is the basis for creating the most effective model of fair human relations. In a digital world of online chats and social media, the need for new ethical principles has grown urgently. At the present time we can find many examples of biases that are part of our current datasets. Therefore, countries are adopting ethical principles, standards, or guidelines to address flaws in technologies that increase bias. However, approaches to address data ethics varies by country, according to their own set of beliefs, and historical and cultural factors. Since data ethics impact government, businesses, and individuals of all countries, a consensus on key definitions, principles, and approaches will be useful to turn ongoing discussions about technology and data ethics into real actions.