Responsible Technology:

From awareness to impact in 4 steps

By Martin ter Horst, Managing Director at Thoughtworks Netherlands 

Responsible Technology is more than just a buzzword. Using technology responsibly is not only commercially interesting, but also gives organizations a new shared goal: promoting social equality and sustainability. But how do you ensure that it becomes an intrinsic motivation instead of just a gimmick?

Strategies for responsible technology use are on the rise in the boardroom. This is evident from "The state of responsible technology", an international study by the American technical university MIT commissioned by Thoughtworks. Almost three-quarters of the organizations surveyed believe that Responsible Technology will eventually become just as important as traditional business and financial considerations when using technology. The biggest challenge is actually implementing responsible technology use and benefiting from it optimally. In this article, I describe four steps to achieve this.

1. Build awareness

Responsible Technology is actually an incorrect term. Technology is essentially neutral and we determine how it is used. However, technology does determine to a large extent what our future will look like. And the prospects are certainly not overwhelmingly positive. We are reaching limits in terms of climate, world population, and social and international relations. This means that organizations have a great responsibility to use technology in a more responsible way. This transition is necessary to make the world a better place, rather than further depleting it and increasing social inequality.

Of course, this does not happen overnight. It takes time to get this, especially in traditionally operating organizations. Everything starts with awareness. First, people must understand the need to think about the responsible use of technology and make the right choices. For example, does a business model comply with legal and ethical guidelines? Is the workplace inclusive when it comes to gender, age, and ethnicity? Are employees rewarded fairly and proportionally for their work? And are there perhaps unwanted consequences of the product you are developing or selling?

Responsible technology should also not be just a theoretical management decision. The change must be supported from the top and come from within. The organization must take real responsibility in that sense, continuously work on that awareness and ask themselves: what are we going to do, how are we going to do it, and how do we get everyone on board? This way, Responsible Technology will eventually become an intrinsic part of your organization.

2. Communicate and share your vision

Tech companies can come up with a solution for any problem. Responsible Technology goes a step further. Additional questions are asked about the intended and unintended consequences of a solution. For example, is a certain technology extra burdensome for the environment? Or is a speech recognition app better optimized for men than women? These are all important questions to ensure that technology is used as responsibly as possible.

Making the transition to Responsible Technology often does not have to be a big step. And it is also not necessarily more expensive to use technology responsibly. For example, sustainability measures can save you a lot of money. And by handling data and privacy in the right way, you not only comply with legal rules, but it also enhances your image as a reliable and transparent organization.

Regardless of the reason, the ultimate goal is to make the world a bit fairer, more sustainable, and more inclusive by using technology responsibly. You should communicate and repeat this message both internally and externally as well as possible. Then it becomes alive, and eventually you will also attract more employees, customers, and partners who share the same ideology.

3. Be strict, take action, and ask the tough questions

If we want everyone to be intrinsically motivated to use technology in a responsible way for a better world, it is important to work on a culture where this is self-evident. You need to communicate your vision of Responsible Technology clearly and consistently, and have conversations about it. Both the organization and the employees must be strict with themselves, hold each other accountable, take action, and set goals. Are we being sustainable enough? Are we being fair and inclusive enough?

We often tell our clients that responsible technology use only costs five extra minutes in meetings. If you have designed a production process, the follow-up question is: have you also thought about waste streams? And when building an app, you can ask questions about the risks of a possible data leak or the accessibility for visually or hearing impaired people. It is a small effort to ask those extra questions, and it does not have to cost anything extra, but its impact can be significant.

4. Use the right tools

Having conversations about responsible technology use can sometimes be difficult. To help with this, there are various tools available, from conversation-enhancing tarot cards and questionnaires to various strategic models and methodologies. We have compiled an overview of these in the Responsible tech playbook.

These methods and tools help to think about these topics in a structured way. This often brings to light various insights that you would not have discovered otherwise. Think, for example, about the negative addictive effects of an app, the unjust policies of an algorithm, or the excessive environmental burden of an outdated server park.

These types of tools help with the mindset change that is necessary to make Responsible Technology a truly integral part of the working method and vision of an organization.

Conclusion

Organizations that embrace Responsible Technology will find that they benefit from it in many ways. It strengthens their brand, promotes the trust of customers, employees, and partners, reduces economic and social inequality, and results in a positive social impact. 

If you want to learn more about the benefits of Responsible Technology, read the State of responsible technology report from MIT,and sign up for our webinar.