What inspired you to work in ethics and how did you gain the necessary experience for this role? I’m tasked with designing and implementing an early warning and monitoring system for a defined set of compliance risks using data analytics. At Microsoft, Arathi Sethumadhavan conducts research to fuel responsible design of new technologies. Then, I work with the design team to translate the research insights into design recommendations and product prototypes. Microsoft has defined six ethical principles: inclusiveness, fairness, privacy and security, transparency, reliability and accountability. We live in an extremely gregarious society, where generally speaking, extroversion is rewarded. This paper outlines these ethical dilemmas of Microsoft faced with and its reactions towards them. For instance, one of the spaces that I work in is virtual and augmented reality. I found that when working with high degrees of automation, it took air traffic controllers significantly longer to detect upcoming collisions in their airspace after an automation failure occurred. Answer Add Tags. Our goal is to help scale technology in a responsible fashion by thinking through the implications that the technology can have on people and society. Achieving our mission all depends on building trust with people and organizations around the globe—our goals are only possible when people trust Microsoft and trust our technology We see the merits for the company, yes. Now, I have the opportunity to build my own team and work on a spectrum of interesting projects. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) is presented to assist you in guiding your conduct to enhance the reputation of Federated. I haven’t heard that of other providers, and I think it’s an exciting opportunity. We have to actually think through these problems. Then there is the programs team within the Office of Legal Compliance, and I sit on that team. To do that well, we need to think about ethics. “Microsoft is honored to be named once again to the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere because it reflects our passion to make a lasting impact on the world around us.” It is important to note that LinkedIn was also named in this list. I believe employees have now given over $100 million through our giving campaign. What we’re focused on now isn’t, “. As a rule, a company’s written or unwritten code of ethics directly influences the code of conduct. Deployments of AI must respect timeless values based on the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and democratic principles shared by all Member States. This week, the European Commission published a set of Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, prepared by the High Level Expert Group on AI. Sethumadhavan completed her doctorate in experimental psychology, with a specialization in human factors, at Texas Tech University in 2009. So, I did a lot of research to understand: What are the brain differences between introverts and extroverts? It is going to allow us to create these, what I call, actionable insights in ways we just haven’t had the ability to do it before. Can you speak about the Convercent Ethic Cloud platform and tie it to that, to data, and how you’re leveraging our platform? As psychologists and user researchers, my team is working to understand users’ needs and incorporate their point of view into product design, which I believe is so pivotal. The Monitor spoke to Sethumadhavan about her role. : Does Convercent support your company’s overall ethical journey, and if so, how? : My name is Alan Gibson. Then there is the programs team within the Office of Legal Compliance, and I sit on that team. “. Applications of both of these technologies are changing the world, societies and individuals in profound ways. : Great! For example, I work with vulnerable populations—including individuals with speech impairments and people who identify as LGBTQ—to make sure their perspectives are captured during product design. People can even lose their sense of identity and begin to mimic the avatars they assume in these virtual environments. In fact, many of Microsoft's corporate values are what most people would most likely expect from any company. Most product teams launch new technologies without fully considering their impact on humans, a practice that Arathi Sethumadhavan, PhD, says can lead to serious problems. Microsoft publishes an annual Human Rights Report, which details progress made in this area. Leaders create and embrace change and set the example. A code of conduct is a set of organizational rules and standards regarding the company’s values, ethics, and beliefs that determine the conduct or action of the organization and its members. Highly automated systems tend to leave controllers out of the decision-making loop, making it harder for them to take over manual control. At Microsoft, our values are what empower us to achieve more. 1. Interviewer: Tell us a little bit about your company, number of employees, etc. After graduation, I got into health care, where I worked in product development for about nine years. ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AT MICROSOFT Microsoft has a positive reputation based on its brand image, product quality, history of in- novation, and numerous philanthropic and educational programs. “Can you help us see the forest through the trees? We’re not trying to necessarily detect and monitor for misconduct, we want to equip them so that we can prevent the misconduct. Who would be the most impacted if we create the technology in this way? And if we see risk being created by their behavior, we want manage that risk, reduce the risk, or mitigate the risk instead of catching them after the fact. : Yeah it is. What do you and your team do at Microsoft? It’s important to have a regard for human skills, instead of designing technology that leaves leftover tasks to humans. So it is important to think about not just the benefits but also the risks and ethical concerns of these powerful technologies. : The interesting part about Convercent’s cloud-based solution for us is you start to see the possibilities once you start to combine disparate data sets. My job was to dig into what exactly it means to be an introvert. What we’re trying to do is get the pulse of our employees to help them make the right decision. For him ‘ethics’ stands for the effort to force everything into univer-sal harmonized principles while ‘moral philo-sophy’ endures colliding or incompatible values or concepts in the discourse. Or answering certain compliance questions in ways that I don’t think other companies are necessarily thinking about at this point in time. We used this premise to propose design features that were not originally considered by the product team. Alan: It’s been an interesting journey for us as we look at how to switch from a rules-based code of conduct or a rules-based strictly company to a values-based company. It was a journey we started two or three years ago. To read or scan the full interview, check out the transcription below: Alan: My name is Alan Gibson. Leaders set objectives and define the direction for the group. Do you see creating more ethical companies as having an impact beyond Microsoft? Share via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Email. We also think it’s the right thing to do for ourselves and our communities. And for us, I don’t think it’s just words on a sheet of paper. Explain the Components of Governance supported by Ethics 3. I am an Assistant General Counsel in the Office of Legal Compliance at Microsoft. So, now in my job, I get to think about the same issue I studied in graduate school—how do humans and technology interact—but with a much broader lens that considers an individual’s place in society. Whenever I start a new project, I analyze the product space and do primary research to answer questions about each of these ethical pillars. Convercent’s vision is to drive ethics to the center of business for a better world and we’re curious if companies have a similar vision. And back to our earlier conversation about the ethical shift in the workplace and moving from compliance to more about employee values and ethics. ” And I think there’s going to be an ability to create these visualizations that’s going to tell the story of what’s going on in your compliance program. Interviewer: Is there anything else around benefits? Is it getting better or is it getting worse and how do you know it? We can discuss ethical theories and philosophies all day long, but that’s not going to have any tangible impact on product development unless we break it down to what ethics means in this setting. And if we see risk being created by their behavior, we want manage that risk, reduce the risk, or mitigate the risk instead of catching them after the fact. When I moved to Microsoft and ultimately joined the ethics and society team, everything seemed to align. The Code supersedes all previous codes and policy statements. What are the unique skills and capabilities that they have that extroverts don’t possess? What we’re focused on now isn’t, “Do this. In the context of business ethics, Microsoft may do many improper behaviors such as the anti-competition practices in the operation system market. Or answering certain compliance questions in ways that I don’t think other companies are necessarily thinking about at this point in time. Explain the dimensions of Social aspects of Ethics & list the Tools, 6. Do you have any advice for psychologists interested in working in this field? Ethics and Compliance at Microsoft Interviewer: Tell us about your program and what the make-up of the team is. I’ve always been passionate about human-centered design versus centering technology products around technological capabilities. And for us, I don’t think it’s just words on a sheet of paper. Flag as Inappropriate Flag as Inappropriate. That’s the most difficult thing, but it also makes this work extremely interesting. Then, she worked for the medical device company Medtronic, where she helped lead user research for several products, including the world’s smallest pacemaker. Interview Answers. Within our team, we’re focused on the standards-of-business conduct, training, our communications plan, and then there’s the piece of work that I’m responsible for, which is the compliance analytics program. How do we ensure that it’s fair to everyone? I don’t know the statistics off the top of my head, but there’s a lot of unintentional misconduct. Define the concept of Ethics in Governance its components 2. I believe employees have now given over $100 million through our giving campaign. Microsoft Talks Ethics and Compliance Shop, Watch the customer story and read the interview. It’s also very gratifying to do foundational research that can provide core insights that influence product design and ultimately impact society. The forensics team is just like it sounds where it’s CSI type work in terms of going into people’s computers or recovering information that allows us to conduct investigations. Alan: The interesting part about Convercent’s cloud-based solution for us is you start to see the possibilities once you start to combine disparate data sets. .” And what I mean by that is that it allows people to interact or share their concerns, raise their issues, and ask their questions more effectively. The sort of questions we get asked could be we see you have 10 more of a certain type of case or investigation. : Tell us a little bit about your company, number of employees, etc. : I’m excited to hear about where Convercent is headed with their solutions, primarily because they’re thinking about some of these “how” questions. During graduate school, I studied how humans and automated systems work together. Microsoft as one of the largest computer software makers in the world have been enjoyed a dominant position in the world software market. : Tell us about your program and what the make-up of the team is. (I emailed their PR agency; they assured me Microsoft did … For us, we started with our standards-of-business conduct, the equivalent of our code of conduct. Since 2018, she has worked with Microsoft teams that create new artificial intelligence and mixed reality technologies—displays that combine virtual and real imagery. : We are truly a global business, and I believe we operate in somewhere around 200 countries. And we just want to equip people to make the right decisions, and we think data is one of those tools that will allow us to do that. : It’s been an interesting journey for us as we look at how to switch from a rules-based code of conduct or a rules-based strictly company to a values-based company. For one product designed to enhance team productivity, our goal was to consider how to make the new technology more inclusive for introverted individuals. Values are essential to ethics. We’re actually living those values on a day-to-day basis. For us, we started with our standards-of-business conduct, the equivalent of our code of conduct. And you must be able to package that sort of information or data in a way that it can be consumed by these executives. COVID-19 resources for psychologists, health-care workers and the public. As senior design research manager on Microsoft’s ethics and society team, Sethumadhavan is always thinking about the societal implications of new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. : As far as the role of technology and data in this shift from being rules-based to more of a values-based, the way that we use our data is really as this early warning and monitoring system. I joined that team and we started with one big product engagement, then a few small ones came along, and the team continued to grow. Explain the importance of Ethical values in Public Service & Role of Public Servants 4. Interviewer: Employee engagement and employee involvement in the problem and solution is a big part of what Convercent is doing. "Microsoft is honored to be named once again to the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere because it reflects our passion to make a lasting impact on the world around us." (Photo: Public Domain) Microsoft Corporation’s organizational culture ensures workforce resilience and capability to address business needs in the dynamic market for computer hardware and software products. Ethics and Values together lay the foundation for sustainability. And so that’s a team that’s made up of attorneys that are focused on investigating allegations of misconduct and we also have a forensics team. For example, take the principle of inclusiveness. Check out APA’s 2019 Technology, Mind & Society conference, to be held Oct. 3–5, in Washington, D.C. And so that’s a team that’s made up of attorneys that are focused on investigating allegations of misconduct and we also have a forensics team. Does the technology exclude certain people? : Great. Best in class colleagues Freedom to express yourself Pay and benefits Work life balance I’m a curious person, and every project that I touch is very different from the others, so I’m constantly learning about new spaces and thinking through new ethical challenges. Virtual reality allows us to immerse ourselves in fabricated worlds, completely leaving the real world behind. Are users of the system able to understand how the system makes decisions? Do you see creating more ethical companies as having an impact beyond Microsoft? Ten years later, this problem still exists. What concerns will customers have about the data that are being collected about them? : How important is the role in technology in this shift from a “check the box on compliance,” to focusing more on ethics and values? This marks an important milestone on the road towards the responsible development and deployment of human-centric AI in Europe. The different rules set out in a code of conduct determine which practices are required or restricted. Self-driving cars, for instance, take control away from the human—but what happens when the automation fails? What we’re focused on is really implementing this ethical culture or this values-based culture. Advancing psychology to benefit society and improve lives, Trudging Toward Dodoville, Part 1: Conceptual Approaches in Executive Coaching, Interventions in Occupational Health Psychology, Call for Papers/Proposals/Nominations (4), © 2021 American Psychological Association. A company’s corporate culture refers to the values, traditions and behavioral expectations among employees. I examined how air traffic controller performance and situation awareness are affected by varying degrees of automated assistance. Can you help us see the forest through the trees? and we’re curious if companies have a similar vision. What’s difficult is also fun: All of these products are phenomenally interesting and also phenomenally new. Microsoft believes in honesty and integrity, in being respectful with others while encouraging growth and improvement, in having a passion for customer technological needs and desires, and in being accountable to not only the … Learn more at https://tms.apa.org. At headquarters, we’re really divided into two teams, one of which is focused on compliance investigations. My research revealed that introverts experience more productivity gains when they are given time to reflect. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about the need for AI ethics, drones and a DJI partnership, and the importance of user privacy. This is forward-looking and you may have a comment on it or not, but looking ahead, what impact do you think building more ethical companies will have, beyond the impact on the businesses themselves? The company’s mission is to empower everyone on the planet to achieve more. Alan: Yeah it is. What stimulates introverts? Product announcements, speaker videos and more ethical inspiration. We also think it’s the right thing to do for ourselves and our communities. What should I be taking away from this data?” And I think there’s going to be an ability to create these visualizations that’s going to tell the story of what’s going on in your compliance program. There is no formula, so we have to be able to navigate through that ambiguity. As we look at having the value base code across our culture, that is what we are really equipping employees to use when they come across a business decision or an ethical decision, to pause, think and ask. Mixed reality, often called augmented reality, lets us alter or augment the "real world" while carrying on with our day-to-day lives. I actually applied for a different job at Microsoft, as the user research lead for the Office Media Group, where I conducted research for applications such as Paint 3D and Stream. Instrumental values play an important role in teleological moral systems - theories of morality which argue that the moral choices are those which lead to the best possible consequences (such as human happiness). Lucky for me, I love ambiguity and I love randomness. I lead user research for this team, so I work with an interdisciplinary group of project managers, designers and product developers to make sure that we are developing technology in a responsible fashion. Do not do that.” It’s more about asking how do we equip people to make the right decisions for the company, for themselves, and for their community. So, I am excited to learn about products such as the interactive code of conduct. We are excited to see where Convercent is going and where the industry is going as we start to aggregate all this different data and we create the ability to combine trends, patterns, and relationships and the result is actionable insights. Cultural values are values accepted by religions or societies and reflect what is important in each context. In my research, I’m always trying to capture diverse perspectives that traditional product development teams often forget to consider. Interviewer: Great! Either you can say it from the perspective of what you’re seeing or where you think it should go. Microsoft will be adding AI ethics to its standard checklist for product release by Alan Boyle on March 25, 2019 at 2:09 pm March 25, 2019 at … : One of the benefits I see that I don’t think Microsoft has taken advantage of, and I don’t know if other clients have taken advantage of, is the ability to use the data and visualize it in a way that allows you to more effectively communicate with, for instance, our audit committee. And you must be able to package that sort of information or data in a way that it can be consumed by these executives. Interested in the intersection of psychology and technology? And how can we capitalize on those unique strengths and abilities through designing better technology? (2019, July). But after two months I was reassigned to the ethics and society team, which was formed last August. “At Microsoft, trust and integrity are core to our values … rcmp-grc.gc.ca. What should I be taking away from this data? Key words: ethics, anti-trust law, anti-competition, Introduction; 1.1 Background of the topic. Interviewer: Great. What we’re trying to do is get the pulse of our employees to help them make the right decision. The comp… Can people understand how the technology makes decisions? I think that’s a huge opportunity. We’re actually living those values on a day-to-day basis. : At Microsoft, the Office of Legal Compliance consists of somewhere around two dozen full-time employees spread out in departments across the world. We see the merits for the company, yes. I ts success can ’ t be separate from the efforts of its founder, Bill Gates and his followers. And that’s what we really focus on as we talk about having a value-based code. Within our team, we’re focused on the standards-of-business conduct, training, our communications plan, and then there’s the piece of work that I’m responsible for, which is the compliance analytics program. 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