Our Responsible Tech Future Depends on Investing in the Responsible Tech Pipeline
By Deb Donig, All Tech Is Human’s Siegel Research Fellow
As the next stage of responsible technological development unfolds, we need to start creating an infrastructure to support the development of a pipeline to a crucial set of jobs at the intersection of ethical and responsible approaches to technological development.
Why? Because ensuring a future aligned with our values depends on serious investment in the Responsible Tech pipeline today.
Since 2016, a key watershed moment in which these jobs began to emerge and play a prominent role in thinking about how we structure technologies to better support, correspond to, and promote human flourishing, a set of both job seekers in the workforce and hirers seeking to put competent workers in these roles have sought to cultivate this kind of workforce. But there has been little understanding and agreement about how to do so successfully.
As the growth of the All Tech Is Human (ATIH) community demonstrates, there is a growing interest in mobilizing this workforce, and an eagerness within the community to see this workforce expand and succeed. Our data shows some clear growth, but also some challenges. Key among these challenges is the reality that while the enthusiasm for such jobs extends, and is animated by, a younger workforce, new graduates with a vision of change, frequently the jobs available for changemakers and responsible technologists are limited to those with some degree of substantial work experience, typically within the industry itself.
Flaws in the system
There’s an innate problem to this structure: hirers seek markings of experience in the workforce and previous work experience that demonstrates an understanding and context for the work, thus creating barriers for those entering the workforce. Simultaneously, workers with tech industry experience frequently are tracked in jobs that move them forward in technical roles, but frequently do not provide demonstrable indicators of the ability to provide ethical or public interest expertise.
How, then, do we cultivate a pipeline for these jobs? In my years teaching, I run across students, often advanced graduate students with years of expertise, who struggle to navigate this issue. One key question I continually get asked is about how they indicate, on their resumes and within cover letters, that they have the qualifications and capabilities for these roles.
Models of professional schools, and the credentialing system they supply, may provide a means to answer this question. Law schools, business schools, and executive certifications from universities that carry social credibility have become badges that workers may use to identify themselves as trained in an area of expertise, and that they may use to demonstrate credentials. The parallel to professional schools is particularly apt, as these institutions have historically served as bridges between academic training and professional practice. Just as law schools combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills through clinics and externships, a credentialing system for responsible technology development could blend ethical frameworks with hands-on experience in implementing responsible tech practices.
Improving our approach
A crucial element of any credentialing system would be its ability to validate both theoretical knowledge and practical application. This could involve:
A core curriculum covering fundamental areas such as AI ethics, privacy by design, responsible innovation frameworks, and impact assessment methodologies
Practical projects or internships with organizations actively implementing responsible tech practices
Mentorship programs pairing early-career professionals with experienced practitioners
Continuing education requirements to ensure credentials remain current with evolving technological challenges
The benefits of such a system would extend beyond individual job seekers. Organizations would gain clearer criteria for hiring and promoting responsible tech professionals. The field itself would benefit from a shared body of knowledge and best practices. Perhaps most importantly, having recognized credentials would help legitimize and professionalize the role of responsible technology development, much as other professional certifications have done for their respective fields.
Such a system might take several forms, all designed to leverage and validate the valuable industry experience that current technology professionals possess. Universities could develop specialized graduate certificates or executive master's programs focused specifically on responsible technology development, structured to accommodate working professionals. These programs would need to combine technical understanding with coursework in ethics, policy, and organizational change, while explicitly valuing and building upon participants' industry experience. Additionally, professional organizations could establish certification programs that allow practitioners to demonstrate their expertise through a combination of coursework, practical experience, and examination – similar to how the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification has become a recognized standard in project management while accounting for years of actual project management experience.
A crucial element of any credentialing system would be its ability to validate both theoretical knowledge and practical application, with a particular emphasis on helping experienced professionals translate their technical expertise into responsible technology leadership roles. This could involve a core curriculum covering fundamental areas such as AI ethics, privacy by design, responsible innovation frameworks, and impact assessment methodologies, with case studies and examples that resonate with experienced practitioners. Since these jobs frequently require previous experience, this coursework should include practical projects that allow professionals to apply responsible technology frameworks within their current roles.
Simultaneously, mentorship programs that connect experienced technologists seeking to transition into responsible technology roles with those already working in the field would cultivate networks that would not only provide opportunities to share experience, but also social networks that would support structures of social recommendation and ongoing dialogue between practitioners. Finally, given the pace of technological development, we need continuing education requirements that help professionals stay current with evolving technological challenges while building on their existing expertise.
However, implementing such a system requires careful consideration of several challenges. While the field of responsible technology is rapidly evolving, the system must be designed to recognize and build upon the valuable experience that current technology professionals bring to the table. There's also the need to balance the validation of existing experience with the acquisition of new skills and perspectives necessary for responsible technology development.
The timing for developing such a system is particularly crucial. As artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies become increasingly integrated into society, and as jobs, regardless of industry, increasingly intersect with tech, thus raising new ethical questions about the implementation and uses of these technologies independent of whether or not those jobs are in the “tech industry,” the need for professionals who can guide their responsible development becomes more urgent. A credentialing system would help meet this growing demand while ensuring that those entering the field are adequately prepared for its challenges.
The Pathway Forward
Looking ahead, the success of such a system will depend on collaboration between academic institutions, industry partners, and professional organizations. Together, these stakeholders can develop credentials that are both rigorous and relevant to real-world needs. This collaboration could also help address the experience gap by creating structured pathways for early-career professionals to gain practical experience while working toward their credentials.
The investment in developing this infrastructure may be substantial, but the cost of not having qualified professionals guiding the development of transformative technologies is far greater. When we codify these jobs and identifiers for people hiring and applying for them, we ensure both that job opportunities in this workforce category are visible to those seeking them, and we ensure that those who go into these jobs have the skills to make the necessary social impact that responsible tech jobs should have – and we do so in ways that combat tech companies supply these functions on their terms alone, rather than on terms developed and collectively considered by the public, in whose name responsible tech practices and procedures are instituted.
By creating institutions that provide comprehensive responsible tech training, and clear pathways for professional development in responsible technology, we can help ensure that the next generation of technology leaders is equipped to build systems that truly serve human flourishing
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Deb Donig is a Siegel Research Fellow at All Tech Is Human. She is also a Lecturer UC Berkeley’s School of Information in the MA in Data Science Program, co-founder of the Cal Poly Ethical Technology Initiative, and the host of “Technically Human,” a podcast where she talks with major thinkers, writers, and industry-leading technologists about the relationship between humans and the technologies we create.
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