{"id":49943,"date":"2021-08-18T08:24:36","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T15:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=49943"},"modified":"2021-10-08T12:38:03","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T19:38:03","slug":"a-surprising-collaboration-competitors-work-together-to-solve-ethical-tech-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/news\/stories\/a-surprising-collaboration-competitors-work-together-to-solve-ethical-tech-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"A Surprising Collaboration: Competitors Work Together to Solve Ethical Tech Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quick Take: <\/strong>In 2018, as the world put a heightened focus on the ethical use of emerging technology, Salesforce partnered with the World Economic Forum to start the Responsible Use of Technology Project, which brings together stakeholders from industry, non-profit organizations, governments, and academia to solve today\u2019s most pressing ethical and responsible innovation challenges \u2014 and act as a powerful force for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On a cloudy Friday morning in November 2018, Brian Green, Director of Technology Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University sat outside \u2018The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,\u2019 a cream-colored building in San Francisco\u2019s Presidio. He didn\u2019t know what to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the left stood the Golden Gate bridge. To the right stood a meeting of 40+ leaders across industry, non-profit, governments, and academia, grappling with their role in ethical tech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, tech ethics dominated the news cycle<\/a>. Yet, while many \u2014 including Green \u2014 acknowledged there was a problem, no one knew where to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salesforce was among the organizations contemplating what role it should play. Looking to drive its internal conversations forward, Salesforce went to long-time partner, the World Economic Forum, to collaborate on hosting an inaugural convening for technology and ethics. They came to the right place, says Kay Firth-Butterfield, now Head of Artificial Intelligence and a member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum (WEF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is what we do,\u201d said Firth-Butterfield. \u201cWEF is a global organization for public-private cooperation that convenes people to have conversations and think about the world, to solve problems that impact everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what we do. WEF is a global organization for public-private cooperation that convenes people to have conversations and think about the world, to solve problems that impact everyone.<\/p>Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of Artificial Intelligence, Executive Committee Member, World Economic Forum<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A day unlike any other<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Green walked inside, and to his delight, entered a lively meeting room, full of people taking this problem seriously and eager to make things better. Four hours, three working groups, and hundreds of post-its later, the leaders were so inspired, they didn\u2019t want to break for lunch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The convening planted a seed for what would become a fruitful movement \u2014 15 stakeholders, some with competing agendas, all focused on solving tech\u2019s biggest challenges impacting their businesses, customers, constituents, and students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World Economic Forum and Salesforce, alongside companies like Microsoft, Deloitte, and Workday, as well as institutions like the United Nations, Business for Social Responsibility, the Office of the High Council on Human Rights, the Omidyar Network, and The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, created something concrete: the Responsible Use of Technology Project.<\/strong> <\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeking to establish a multi-stakeholder group that could help propel the industry forward, Salesforce provided that sustained investment to get the effort off the ground \u2014 two full-time employees paid by Salesforce that would become full-time leaders of the Responsible Use of Technology Project. These secondees would engage affiliated organizations and help shape the strategic direction and deliverables of the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salesforce also committed several staff to sit on the project\u2019s advisory boards including Salesforce\u2019s Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer, Paula Goldman to sit on the project steering committee. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Open Image Modal<\/span>\"Paula<\/a>
Salesforce’s Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer, Paula Goldman, speaks on a panel at Dreamforce 2019 conference<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n
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