SoftwareGR Presents Stephanie Vaughn: The Ethical Responsibilities of Developers

Computer scientists at Harvard built Artificial Intelligence (AI) which could identify gang crimes. This development in the practice of predictive policing has immense potential to "ignite an ethical firestorm" as stated by Science Magazine. Yet, when asked about potential misuses, the researcher responded, "I'm just an engineer."

Do developers have an ethical responsibility when it comes to developing tech that ultimately becomes a tool of state violence? Should they have a say in how the tech they build should be used once it’s delivered to the client?

In this talk, I will examine how efforts to move tech forward are built on statistical biases, and why those who build these things should care. I will also discuss what a code of ethics could look like when approached by developers.

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About Stephanie Vaughn

After being adopted by Chicago for 14 years, Stephanie hit 'RESET' and returned to her hometown of Detroit in 2015 to reboot her writing ambitions into a tech career. This bold move has since yielded a foray into Computer Science education and working on staff with nationally recognized STEM education programs like SMASH and tech diversity organizations like Black Girls Code. With over a decade of experience in media-focused Communications, the Grand Circus (Javascript, '16) and Integrate Detroit (Software Development, ‘18) alumna is always looking to share her passion for the T in “STEM” with developers & non-developers alike.