First Do No Harm

Ben Tucker Theater

We know that ability is equally distributed among humans, but opportunity is not. As the need for skilled technologists grows, so must our ability to empower individuals with accessible tech training. The data that can be gathered about an individual’s learning patterns can help inform the ultimate personalized educational experience, accelerating the cycle from novice to master, or it could be weaponized – used to judge an individual and block opportunities for jobs and advancement. As we design experiences and systems, we become the ethical stewards of the impact we could have on millions of lives. It’s up to us to make the right, and often hard decisions. Hear from Mariah Hay, former CXO at Help Scout and VP of product at Pluralsight, about her experience designing product for tech education, the choices her teams have made to avoid weaponization, and how human centered design can inform the ethical underpinnings of our missions, our companies, and our bottom lines. 

Key Takeaways:

  • What are ethics and how do they show up in professional industries
  • Concerning behaviors of modern tech companies, and decisions made by technologists like us
  • What it looks like to use human centered design to drive ethical decision making in practices – and three things you can take back to your teams to get started
All Tracks Keynote Session