Ethics of Emerging Technologies: An Interview with Geoffrey C. Bowker

Abstract

The challenges of research in ethics and technology require attentive listening. Geoffrey Charles Bowker, began to give attention to the theme over twenty years ago. What ensues is a contemporary commentary on the ethics of emerging technologies with extracts from an audio interview (by Zoom) between Elen Nas and Bowker, which took place during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic. The main question of this open dialogue is regarding the use of technologies such as AI to ask—what has changed with the problems identified now and in the past in relation to ethical computing? To paraphrase Bowker—it is impossible to think of new technologies that would not change human values then and now.