Ecological Ethics: How Not to Be Evil When Data-Mining
Where: Columbia University
When: Tuesday, May 7, 6:00 PM
Who: Eben Moglen
Destruction of personal privacy is the first global ecological crisis of the digital era. Predictive modeling of human behavior, combined with pervasive survellance of network interaction, provides tools for the maintenance of despotism unique in human history. All political freedom now depends on restoring privacy and anonymity to the network.
Data science promises to aid fundamental breakthroughs in every aspect of the human and social sciences. Soon we will be reconsidering everything we think we know about human social action and advancing on every front in our comprehension of society. In this talk, I consider the normative responsibilities of scientists pursuing research – and coordinating with both profit-driven and government entities – at the intersection of the two preceding propositions.
This event is part of the Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering seminar series and will take place in the Davis Auditorium located at 500 West 120th Street on the Columbia University Campus. Detailed directions are available here. All are welcome.