The two-day conference explored ethical challenges and solutions in technology, with presentations and workshops covering a wide range of topics. This intimate, inspiring conference was characterized by a warm, inclusive atmosphere that cultivated meaningful conversations among participants.
The conference featured 14 research paper presentations, each examining important topics in tech ethics, including privacy and legislation, tech platforms and power, AI ethics in practice, automated AI and autonomy, ethical design, and ethics in tech education.
Engaging in international, cross-disciplinary conversations, the conference presented various methodologies such as comprehensive secondary research to map the ethical landscape, empirical data to search for real-world problem for further investigation, and critical theories to reexamine our perception on human-technology relation.
A highlight of the conference was the workshop on integrating tech ethics into higher education. During the session, participants explored different ways to include ethics in curricula, especially in computer science – from designing standalone courses to integrating ethical topics into each step of technical training. The workshop concluded with cross-disciplinary discussion on embedding ethics education not only in computer science, but also in the general digital literacy to all students. This workshop emphasized the important role universities can play, both as educators and researchers, in encouraging responsible and sustainable technology development.
TETHICS2024 wasn’t just about structured talks and workshops. It was also an open and honest space that allowed for conversational and relaxed interactions among attendees. A sense of community was fostered, allowing attendees to participate in shaping the event itself. Autonomy was demonstrated in a townhall-style meeting, where participants discussed the organizing committee and upcoming conference.
TETHICS2024 demonstrated the research community’s joint efforts in exploring tech ethics, and the conversation is far from over. Next year, the conference will be held at the University of Vaasa! You can follow TETHICS on their Linkedin page.
DigiSus is a proud co-sponsor of TETHICS2024. For more information on upcoming events and to be part of DigiSus community, check out DigiSus Events and register for the DigiSus Winter Feast here.