Background: The roots of digital technology run deep. Great pioneers such as Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Steve Jobs and Tim Berners-Lee, to name but a few, played their part in realising our modern world which is now dependent upon digital technology for virtually every aspect of the society we live in. Digital technology’s role is no longer confined to science, boffins, business and the backroom; it is now pervasive with an emphasis on information, consumers, community and children. The potential benefits of digital technology for us all are undeniable. However, commercial and political imperatives have fuelled an accelerating evolution which has little regard for holistic societal benefit and is seemingly unstoppable. AI adoption, the latest evolutionary step, is indicative of this approach. Disasters have occurred, are occurring and will occur, resulting in reactive action which is often too little and too late.

This evolving landscape needs to be explored and the underlying issues addressed so that we can all enjoy the benefits of digital technology whilst addressing the associated dangers in a timely fashion. We all have responsibilities and obligations for this to happen. It is about underpinning digital technology with digital ethics. Therefore, this webinar will discuss whether ethical digital technology can be realised for everyone and if so how it can be realised.

Speaker: Professor Simon Rogerson is Professor Emeritus in Computer Ethics, Centre for Computing & Social Responsibility, De Montfort University, UK. Simon’s early career was in industry as a technical software developer and manager. In 1983, he moved into academia but maintained his industrial links through consultancy and work with IMIS, BCS and ACM.

He became Europe’s first Professor in Computer Ethics in 1998 and in 2010 became lifetime Professor Emeritus. He was the founding Director of the Centre for Computing & Social Responsibility (CCSR) at De Montfort University, launched in 1995 at the first ETHICOMP conference which he conceived and co-directed until 2013. He was the founder and editor until December 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. Most recently, he was appointed to the Ethics Committee associated with the Data Analytics Lab of the West Midlands Police.