An Introduction to Humane Technology
Whether it’s to share a work event with colleagues, keep up to date with current affairs, or to like your sister’s holiday snaps, the vast majority of us use technology pretty regularly. But if you had a special key that would allow you to unlock and delve into what was going on behind the scenes of some of this technology, you may make some unpleasant discoveries. From machine learning to deep fakes and recommender systems, some technologies are built with the ability to cause more harm than value.
This is where the concept of humane technology comes in - and it’s not a novel one. In fact, it can be traced back to the 70s and has been presented in journals such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
One such article, ‘Humane Technology’, acknowledges that technology is considered by some to be neutral in nature, incapable of directly determining how it is used beyond its creation, maliciously or not. The article then also considers the opposite perspective, that some believe particular technologies prohibit the ability to build a just society (Etzioni, 1973).
Ultimately, it is then concluded that technology has helped us to live with more freedom, as technological solutions have been found to combat human issues such as isolation and even completing everyday tasks. This is evident even more so today in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, where platforms such as Zoom, and Facebook have allowed us to keep in touch with others from a distance. Interestingly, the article follows this by presenting that humane technology is the answer to many concerns and that by employing this concept en masse, we can unlock further potential of technology:
“This will not be achieved by a blind, wholistic approval of technology, but by carefully developing those tools which can be geared to advance our true values” (Etzioni, 1973).
Following this rhetoric, Vatsa and Gaur (2001) argue that:
“While technological innovations have an important place within the society, they also lead a precarious life. There is a growing antagonism between man and technology” (Vatsa & Gaur, 2001).
Their work considers that the world today is dominated by materialism and individualism, while virtues such as sympathy have disappeared. It could be argued that technology has followed suit and is often built to feed into the cycle of materialism. As such, it often contributes further to societal issues, such as political mistrust, and the spread of disinformation online. This has led to so-called “sophisticated dehumanized technology” (Vatsa & Gaur, 2001).
As technology has advanced rapidly, even since the concept of humane technology was introduced, it is clear that the need for technology to shift more towards this positive direction has skyrocketed. For instance, we’ve seen the likes of Facebook’s like button cause a devastating effect in terms of mental health through the increased social comparison of users, an effect likely not widely considered prior to its deployment (Warrender & Milne, 2020). But regardless of intentions, it serves as a reminder that technology can be created with neutrality in mind, but that doesn’t necessarily make for neutral outcomes.
So, the real question is staring us in the face – what can be done to mitigate the negative impacts of technology on society?
According to the Center of Humane Technology, an organisation working to spread the message of humane technology to technologists, users, and policymakers, technologists should consider the following key principles when building technology:
· Obsess over values (instead of obsessing over engagement metrics)
· Strengthen existing brilliance (instead of assuming more technology is always the answer)
· Make the invisible visceral (instead of assuming harms are edge cases)
· Enable wise choices (instead of assuming more choice is always better)
· Nurture mindfulness (instead of vying for attention)
· Bind growth with responsibility (instead of simply maximizing growth) (Center for Humane Technology, 2022).
Perhaps a few of the most interesting concepts in terms of our own work in the Legal Innovation Lab Wales (LILW), are:
· How can technology help us teach our goals without leading to wider negative impacts?
· How can technology help us overcome some of the greatest societal divides we currently face?
· How can we repurpose existing technology for innovative purposes?
These are valuable concepts to consider in a LegalTech setting, where our goals are already embedded within the idea of helping people, whether that’s law firms wishing to streamline their workflow, or working to help vulnerable communities to access vital technology as a gateway to legal services.
As we move forward with our work in the LILW, where we are fortunate enough to work with a variety of partners who identify important areas of concern in the legal world, it is essential that we are guided by wider values and goals, such as preventing the dehumanisation of technology, in order for us to make a difference and ultimately help to empower a world which welcomes more humane technology.
As always, if you’d like to keep up to date with what we get up to in the LILW, make sure to follow us on social media and keep an eye on our website.
Bibliography
Etzioni, A. (1973). Humane Technology. Science, 959.
Center for Humane Technology (2022, April 7). For Technologists. Retrieved from Center for Humane Technology Website: https://www.humanetech.com/technologists
Vatsa, S., & Gaur, R. (2001). The Concept of Humane Technology in Arun Joshi's: The Foreigner. In M. Bhatnagar, The Novels of Arun Joshi (pp. 28-41). New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors.
Warrender, D., & Milne, R. (2020). Social media, social comparison and mental health. Nursing Times, 58-61.