The importance of ethical decision making in the age of technology

While our ethical decision-making (Practice M2) must be informed by truth, having the ability to analyze vast quantities of data does not in itself ensure that we have access to the truth. Our values (Practice M1) must inform the way we collect and study data. Biased data can lead to biased decision-making and to a host of unintended social consequences (Practice P2). Seeking the truth means remaining skeptical of the capacity of the data we collect to tell the complete truth about the world. As UCLA economist Shohini Kundu says in this TED Talk, in ethical decision-making, we need to “have all the facts, but also have the wisdom to know which ones to apply.”