- New Centre will work with government, business, academia and civil society leaders to encourage responsible and ethical use of emerging technology
- Technologies include artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual reality and quantum computing
- New Centre is based in Austin, Texas, USA. It is the 18th centre to join the Forum's global network. Read more here
- For more information, visit www.weforum.org. Share on social media using the hashtag #wef23
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 17 January 2023 - The World Economic Forum is launching the Centre for Trustworthy Technology in Austin, Texas. Its mission is to promote responsible production and use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, blockchain, virtual reality and quantum computing.
Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum and Head of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, highlighted the centre's potential key role in ensuring technology is trustworthy and responsibly used.
"When it comes to the application of technology in society, people have legitimate concerns over how their data is used, whether what they are reading and seeing is real and whether their jobs are safe. Societal trust in and acceptance of technology is dependent on the technologies in question being designed in an inclusive, ethical and responsible manner. We are proud to launch the Centre for Trustworthy Technology to tackle exactly that," he said.
The Centre for Trustworthy Technology joins a global network of 17 centres connecting public and private sector stakeholders to maximize the benefits of emerging technologies whilst minimizing the risks. Created in collaboration with Deloitte and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the centre will engage the C4IR network and global collaborators to scale responsible, ethical and safe technology through projects and activities at the national and international level.
"Deloitte has been on a multi-year journey to embed trustworthy and ethical tech practices across our organization as part of our ongoing purpose efforts," said Beena Ammanath, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and leader of Deloitte's Technology Trust Ethics practice. "We understand that for technology to reach its full potential it has to be grounded in equity, diversity and inclusion for all people and sustainable for our planet. We are proud to be a founding sponsor of the centre as we take our journey to the next level to promote trust in technology."
"As technology becomes an increasingly fundamental part of the human experience, our future will be defined by our ability to today build trust and define ethical societal norms around tech design, development and deployment. The centre promises to bring representation from across sectors and geographies to deliver on a shared vision of a human-centric, tech-enabled future," said Vilas S. Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
The strategic priorities will include creating tools and frameworks that promote ethical technology development and use. The centre will explore ways to adopt technology to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
It will facilitate knowledge sharing for technology leaders across the public and private sectors, publishing insights to raise awareness about the importance of trustworthy technology. Additionally, the centre will present opportunities to convene stakeholders from government, business, academia and society to shape an ethical and trustworthy technology agenda.
About the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 convenes the world's foremost leaders under the theme Cooperation in a Fragmented World. It calls on world leaders to address immediate economic, energy and food crises while laying the groundwork for a more sustainable, resilient world. For further information, please click here.
