Moral Labyrinth: a meditation on ethics in technology

[mozfest-bot]

[ UUID ] dfcde82d-2a85-4915-9c8b-f08672f0932c

[ Session Name ] Moral Labyrinth: a meditation on ethics in technology
[ Primary Space ] Digital Inclusion
[ Secondary Space ] Openness

[ Submitter's Name ] Sarah Newman
[ Submitter's Affiliated Organisation ] metaLAB at Harvard University

[ Other Facilitator 1's Name ] Jessica Yurkofsky

[ Other Facilitator 2's Name ] Nikhil Dharmaraj
[ Other Facilitator 2's GitHub ] @nikhil-dharmaraj

What will happen in your session?

Moral Labyrinth is an interactive art installation that strives to broaden the conversation about ethics in technology by engaging as many voices as possible, and making explicit the contradictions in human values, especially across individuals and cultures. The work raises awareness that without more consensus about how technologies are programmed and the sorts of values that are embedded in them, the values embedded in those technologies will be left to the select few who build them.

Installation components: walking "meditation" labyrinth, where lines of labyrinth are philosophical questions inspired by technology; interactive website, where participants navigate through series of ethical questions; projection visualizing digital labyrinth; and wall where participants can hang their own questions for others to ponder.

Sketch: https://sarahwnewman.com/Moral-Labyrinth-installation

What is the goal or outcome of your session?

We deeply value the perspectives of others. This is what Moral Labyrinth is about. While it is difficult, and often fraught, to talk about moral positions, not talking about ethics and morality does not make such complexities go away. In fact, not talking about challenging topics just relegates to a small number some very consequential decisions about individuals, cultures, and possibly the future of our species and/our planet. We want to bring together diverse participants to think through difficult questions openly and collaboratively. Technology actually makes this possible.

Project goals: empower individuals to be more confident in their own insights; learn from and incorporate these perspectives into project; make dialogue around ethics and technology as inclusive and good as possible.

If your session requires additional materials or electronic equipment, please outline your needs.

We can bring all hardware and materials (projector, media player, laptop, labyrinth installation, and paper/pens for participants' responses).

Would be terrific if MozFest could provide 4 stands/tables (2 tall, 2 short) for laptop, projector, media player, etc.

Time needed

All weekend, as an installation, exhibit or drop-in session