The Ethics of Digitalization

Led by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), the Berkman Klein Center, and the Digital Asia Hub, and in collaboration with the Global Network of Internet & Society Centers (NoC), the ”The Ethics of Digitalisation: From Principles to Practice” project advances dialogue and action at the intersection of science, politics, digital economy, and civil society. 

Digitalization efforts are rapidly proliferating across sectors, prompting new and large-scale ethical challenges that arise from technological development and deployment that have important rights and justice implications. The project will engage interdisciplinary networks of scholars and students, as well as civil society groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders in order to advance research outputs with social relevance in application-related and practice-based contexts such as content moderation, tech-assisted learning, or well-being. 

In 2019, during a panel discussion hosted by the Berkman Klein Center, German Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier described his efforts to promote a global dialogue about our responsibility for the future and how digital transformation will dramatically reshape industry, government, and society. The newly-announced project builds upon this past event and draws on the NoC’s unique interdisciplinary expertise, geographic reach, diversity of perspectives, and established history of fostering collaboration across borders and boundaries. 

With the German President as patron and the support of Stiftung Mercator, the project is hosting a series of research sprints, interdisciplinary clinics, workshops, and other activities in Europe, the US, and Asia.

AI and Content Moderation: In Fall 2020, the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society hosted a research sprint in which participants focused on the ethical issues that arise as platforms turn to algorithmic content moderation systems. Learn more 

Digital Ethics in Times of Crisis: Covid-19 & Access to Education and Learning Spaces: In Winter 2020, the Berkman Klein Center hosted a research sprint in which participants delved into the societal and ethical aspects of digital transformation and learning, especially in a time of unprecedented global crises. Learn more

Digital Self-Determination: In Spring 2021, the Berkman Klein Center and Digital Asia Hub co-hosted a research sprint in which participants explored how digital self-determination can and should play out in areas such as personal data, health, civic life, the gig economy, and the information economy.  Learn more.

AI Policy Research Clinic with the City of Helsinki: In Summer 2021, the Berkman Klein Center and the City of Helsinki’s Education Division partnered to host an educational program that developed a model for ethical AI support in municipal schools, with models based on participatory design and human accountability. Learn more