Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

'System error, please restart'- Nanda Piersma

6 December 2022

Redactie openresearch.amsterdam

How to build ethical IT-systems

Below you will find the video recording and the text of the inaugural lecture by Nanda Piersma, Lecturer in Responsible IT at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. In her speech, Piersma focuses on how to address the dangers of unwanted ICT-applications, which does not always go well despite the efforts of journalists, governments and other democratic bodies in our society.

Source: Lectorale rede Nanda Piersma - Lector Responsible IT. Youtubekanaal hogeschool van Amsterdam.

"Unfortunately, there are too many examples of unwanted IT applications that limit and exclude people, violate privacy, give positions of power to (big) tech companies, change our society in an undesirable way and even undermine democratic processes," says Piersma in her introduction. She points out the importance of journalists, scientists and politicians to point out the urgency of what is or could go wrong, and the careful attempts that are being made to do things differently and make things better. However, according to Piersma, these attempts are 'quick fixes, patch-ups, and band-aids that digital experts stick on hacks and holes in our existing digital ecosystem'. Piersma quotes Marleen Stikker (director and founder of the Waag research institute) who says: 'there must be a toolbox and we must get to work on structurally repairing our IT systems in a responsible manner'. But how? In this speech Piersma discusses this question in detail.

Source: Piersma, N. (2022). System error, please restart: hoe we verantwoorde
IT-systemen kunnen bouwen. Inaugurele rede. HVA Publicaties.

this publication can also be found in the Hogeschool van Amsterdam library.

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Icon image: Data - Pickpik

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