70 Visions for a Better Tech Future
(Friday, March 8, 2024) “What is your vision for a better tech future?” is a question that informs the ethos of All Tech Is Human. We’ve been committed to empowering and uplifting the responsible tech movement since 2018.
To help us prepare for our Responsible Tech Mixer on March 11 in New York City we asked a selection of people to share their visions. Here, we’ve highlighted perspectives from our community.
“A Better tech future for me looks like a more inclusive or more well-rounded thought space, algorithms that deeper reflect the wide tapestry of humanity.” -Ken Anthony, Tech Advocate
“Better-educated and better-equipped public oversight; equitable access to tools and information; strict privacy protections; continuing to leverage technology to address social, economic, and environmental challenges.” -Alex Tiktinsky, Principal, A.T. Strategy
“A better tech future drives greater access to information, greater transparency about that information, and increased competitive options for both consumers and businesses.” -Craig Bromberg, Founder & CEO of Homesy
“A tech ecosystem that proactively and effectively protects journalism and democracy.” -Marie-France Han, Data journalist, freelance
“To me, it would have to demonstrate equitable and ethical access. So every one of all backgrounds, having access and being able to benefit from the emerging technologies. But there are strict ethics in place to prevent crimes, or these technologies to be used against us.” -Day Guobadia, Content Writer Freelancer
“Better regulation, controlling hate speech, regulate AI.” -Joseph Mendez, educator at the Morgan Library
“When leaders are making informed decisions that's aligned with their organizational goals, vision and mission.” -Ana Santhosh, Founder of Kraft AI
“A web that works for everyone.”-Katherine Townsend, Executive Advisor, World Wide Web Foundation
“A better tech future starts with an inclusive team, which imagine experiences which empower and assist a diverse group of people. The characteristics of curiosity, compassion and empathy will help drive that future. Replace "move fast and break things" with "move deliberately and fix things." -Robert Stribley, User Experience Design Director + Consultant
“A future with inclusion and equity.” -Lorena Miranda, Graduate student at Columbia University
“More accountability and user protection.” -Omkar Lewis, Head of Music Expansion at SubWire
“One where people come together to heal and share authentically, rather than to compete and show off.” -Leslie Robinson, Founder & CEO at Trance4mation Games
“Build for everyone!.” -Michelle Mol, NYU MA student and Diem Community
“A better tech future is one in which people have no reason to fear that any given technology will cause harm because they will know that there are solid, unalterable laws and practices in place to ensure their safety and well-being and one in which all people have access to the internet, computing power and tech education.” -Kimberly Wright, Program Support Manager, LAGCC Data Analytics
“A future where tech companies place humans in the Center of their own data control and move away from data and surveillance capitalism.” -Alyssa Png
“Privacy-respecting tools that people pay fair prices for.” -Daniel Kronovet, Zaratan
“One where developers, deployers, users and non users all have some level of say over what/how tech is being used by, for, and on them.” -Faraz Ansari, Associate, BSR
“Integrating responsible AI at the inception of projects and continuing to evaluate it throughout, rather than it being a consideration at the end of projects.” -Tara Maj, Data Scientist
“Inclusive of all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds.” -Silvia Diaz-Roa, Head of Product & Operations at ClaimDeck
“One where tech enables us to reduce or eliminate human biases.” -Therese Nkeng, Co-founder, EFFa
“An “Age of Clarity” that comes after the information age. Instead of creating a torrent of low-quality and low-trust information from the internet, the products and services that succeed are the ones that help customers sort through the noise and move forward confidently.” -Dan Bakke, Building a climate tech startup called Flaria. Also Founder of Quirky Cup
“A better tech future is one where the workforce is an diverse as the world we all live in.” -Scott Naab, Employment Engagement Manager
“Humans are fairly rewarded for their knowledge, identity and other data. It's not stolen from them. And humans have their right to privacy. They are not forced to be surveilled to participate in the good bits of the internet.” -Jay Wong, Founder in the AI data space
“One where technology is used to safeguard our human rights, increase our humanity and expand our consciousness.” -Dele Atanda, CEO of MetaMe
"A better tech future looks like a world where everyone has the education and autonomy to decide what technology is right for them without influence.” -Mark Singer, User Experience Designer, Freelance Contractor
“Where no one needs to be technical to be technical.” -Shawn Fateh
“More inclusive space; more thoughtfulness into how to integrate humanity into the tech industry.” -Ken Anthony, Tech Inclusion Officer & GreeTechFinance
“Technology that is sustainable and inclusive.” -Benny Kouk, Product Intern at EquityZen
“Moving beyond current privacy and consent frameworks to a world where producers of data can govern how their data is used and benefit from the upside.” -Zara Khan, Strategic Partnerships Lead, GoogleX
“More transparent about how user data is used, and how platforms enforce decision making when implementing their community guidelines.” -Noam Dovas, Discord, Product Marketing Manager for Safety
“A better tech future looks like a new “enlightened End User License Agreement.” This enlightened EULA pays people for licensing their data! We are building this now.” -Jacob Bassiri, Founder & CEO at Tree of Wally
“A better tech future places agency in the hands of humanity.” -Sara Robin, Director: Your Attention Please
“A better tech future includes interoperability as table stakes, will be user-centric first and will be used to solve real problems which in turn will benefit many. Interoperability as the norm will ensure people have access to more tech regardless of their economic status. User centricity will ensure unnecessary features and functions don't distract from necessity & safety. Problem-solving tech will increase inclusivity for groups that may be left behind when creating for creating sake.” -Kameka Dempsey, Founder/CEO KD Leadership Strategies
“One that considers unintended consequences and own an ethical responsibility to address them.” -William Gioia, Director of Innovation and School Design (NYC DOE), CEO and Founder (Infinite Futures Consulting LLC)
“A future that inspires people to elevate and innovate, not just copy, recycle, and peddle jealousy & hate.” - Alec Stephens III
“Users are paid for their data.” -Brendan Donovan, Business Development Associate
“A better tech future looks like one where the "ladder" for getting into the tech industry and climbing is clearer and more open to individuals of any background.” -Grant Terdoslavich
"A better tech future is one where technology is designed with all people in mind, not just the majority or those in power. In the future, I envision tech that considers diversity and inclusion from the start. This means having people from all backgrounds and perspectives involved in the development process - women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and more. I want devices and platforms that reflect and embrace our differences, not erase them.” -Jenny Dassas, Technical Customer Solutions Manager, AWS
“A better tech future involves companies that look beyond AI deployment that’s safe and ethical. It’s risky to take the approach of “We’ve provided the model to our customers and what they get is what they get.” You must build a strong architecture to support the deployment.” -Jessica Tam, Communications consultant after VP role at Bank of New York and managing editor role for IBM
“In my view, a better tech future is one where we recognize that not everything is a product and not everyone a customer.” -Ella Drory
“A better tech future = a future in which technology serves humans and does not detract from their quality of life.” -Elizabeth Tate, IT Principal Consultant - NTT DATA Services / Youth Fellow - Fairplay Childhood Beyond Brands
“Where everyone is safe to create, explore and enjoy the web.” -Arya Seghatoleslami, Software Engineer
“A better tech future is one where I can trust the devices I use to enrich my life and give me reliable answers.” -Zoe Maher, Communications Associate, McCourt Global
“One where we take a beat before lunging head first into adoption of shiny new tech tools, to consider the implications, and mindfully decide if the endeavor right for all involved.” -Michael Terwindt, Founder of Validation. Run and Growth Marketing Consultant
“One that actively plans for women, minorities, and children's safety and healthy experiences.” -Abigail Trueblood, Business Program Manager, Facebook
"A "better tech future" has to have people, especially the youth, using social sites to enhance their understanding about how to solve personal and societal difficulties. By having this deeper understanding, it can motivate people to get off of some of these social sites and engage more in the world outside of the social sites. Having a meaningful endeavor to be part of one's life, it gives people hope and this is especially important for the young.” -Bruce Strauss
“A better tech future is one where technology enhances human connections without compromising privacy. It's a world where innovation serves humanity, ensuring accessibility and sustainability for all.” -Shreyes Upadhyay
“The future of tech would be tech that focuses on the best distribution of wealth and opportunities for the happiness of as many people as possible around the planet.” -Jef Duplaix, co-founder of wehappers.org tech for good nonprofit program
“One that is equitable and accessible to all. Diverse in initiatives and representation.” -Keyarow Mosley, UX researcher
“We need to ground communities and empower them to make genuine mutual connection. Social media do not connect us well.” -Nico Addai, Gradient Health, Inc - Compliance Officer
“A better tech future is one where Section 230 is revoked by Congress, social media companies are regulated, and privacy and personal data rights become respected. Also, data exchanges should be illegal or regulated, and any company that profits from user data should pay at least a gift tax on the value of all those ill gotten gains. Lastly, all offline laws should be identical to online laws where applicable; if it’s a federal offense to open someone else’s snail mail, why is it ok for marketers to put pixel tags in emails?” -Brett Forman, Tech/Privacy Reporter
“I see Tech as a catalyst for reshaping Wealth distribution to spark global happiness.” -Jerome Duplaix, Co-founder of wehappers.org
“More ethical governance of these runaway innovations.” -Swathi Manchikanti, Climate and Health Lead at UNICEF
“1. More equity (access/time/wealth) in terms of who can:
Design mass technology, set the standards for what we consider its baseline (e.g instead of framing a specific individual’s experience as the default or “normal”), establish and grow what we consider ethical and authentic
2. Enable better quality and more easily accessible, mental and physical healthcare at low or no cost to people from all different economic and educational backgrounds" -Kate Fauteux
“A better tech future recognizes that humans are fundamentally enmeshed with cyber-technology at a cultural and psychological level, and aligns their vision of the future design of said cyber-technology accordingly, with high fidelity, honesty, and virtue.” -David Ball
One that instead of extracting value from no-, low-, and middle-income families, optimizes well-being, especially with respect to healthcare.”- Raza Khan, CEO of Be
“An equitable, safe, and well-considered system with representation by all. No data sold to the government for surveillance.” -Annina Christensen, Co-director, Community Insight and Impact
“One where tech is applied to solve *human* issues such as building community, mental health, poverty, and the like, rather than just enhancing society’s productivity.” -Cameron Pepe, Project Manager
“I believe peer to peer meetups exactly like this are the path … discussion and education to dispel myth, fear and ego … connection and collaboration of the tech and the human.” -Lauren Farrer, Fitness format founder, ex Salesforce and Medtronic
“A better tech future is inclusive, decentralized and independent.” -Rocio Brusseau, Cofounder & principal at Overflow PBC
“Safety and responsibility being integrated into every step of the product design process.” -Joshua Lam, Google Policy Lead
“A world where there is a systematized way to defend against coordinated harassment and harms, a world where people can’t purchase not or troll armies to sway public opinions, and a world where dialogue can occur in healthy media ecosystems that function as digital public squares.” -Samantha Kutner
“Where private information is stays private, AI and new technology are used for the betterment of humanity, and technological advancements don’t displace humans, but elevate them.” -Vivian Loh, UX Designer & Art Director
“A “better tech future” is one that is inclusive of diverse backgrounds. It creates a space for everyone to come and magnify it’s potential to improve life.” -Shaunda Johnson, Florida International University global affairs master’s student, concentration in cybersecurity and technology policy
“Individuals do not feel an obligation or pressure to engage with tech in order to accomplish tasks of basic living. e.g., cash payments accepted in lieu of credit card, apple pay, etc.” -Ursula Kaczmarek, Data Scientist, Democracy Works
“Supporting the best interests of people on tech platforms.” -Christina Johnson, Product Manager, Gusto Inc
“In my opinion, a better tech future doesn't mean flying cars or robots being used for everything. Better tech is something that can help humans treat the diseases that we can't cure right now, improves people's life without causing harm to their privacy, being able to give education to the ones irrespective of their religion and financial status. A better tech is also something that doesn't make people wanting to lead their lives alone in a virtual world and doesn't make them lazy.” -Parth Batavia, Data analyst
“Where truth is not attacked as an opinion (that people on the internet can tell the difference between truths and opinions)” -Yurika Foster
“It's a future where people are mindful of the ways in which developing technologies can both help and harm us, and one where tech can be used to drastically redefine our idea of 'disability'.” -Janice Hahn, UI/UX Designer at Schuco USA
“Control of your own data.” -Wade Bullick, Recruiter, IPKK
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