The limits of design in ensuring responsible outcomes from technology

Abstract

Ensuring responsible outcomes from technology is a challenging goal, and several design methods have been proposed to embed ethical values into the technology itself. Based on a case-study of a voice-based community media platform running in rural India, we argue that design alone is not sufficient to prevent harmful effects and that careful management of the technology during its deployment is also essential. We identify several processes that can be useful to specifically manage digital platforms for information sharing among users. While this may not be a significant insight, we draw attention for researchers to understand the deployment management of technology, beyond its design, as an important area of research in technology and ethics.