Elves, Ethics & The Digital World | Don Heider | TEDxPurdueU

Summary

The speaker explores ethical dilemmas in digital spaces through the lens of a virtual world, Second Life, where elves, including cross-gender characters, interact. They discuss the lack of a digital ethics code and use examples like the Amina Arraf hoax to highlight the need for ethical behavior online. The talk concludes with a call for digital citizenship, accountability, and the hiring of Chief Ethicists in tech companies to navigate ethical challenges in the digital age.

Takeaways

• ?\ud83c? The speaker discusses the unique dynamics of relationships formed in virtual worlds, using Second Life as an example where users can create avatars, including elf avatars,不受现实世界的限制。
• ?\ud83c? The story of Amadi and Carlos illustrates how virtual relationships can parallel real-life connections, with the added complexity of gender identity disclosure in virtual spaces.
• 📝 The reaction to Amadi's gender switch in Second Life was varied, highlighting the lack of a universal ethical code for behavior in digital environments.
• 📚🏾 The absence of a digital ethics code raises questions about how to navigate moral decisions in the digital world, where technology often outpaces our ethical frameworks.
• 👮🏪 The case of Amina Araf, a blog written by Tom McMaster posing as a lesbian woman in Syria, underscores the complexities and ethical dilemmas of online identity and deception.
• 💵 The establishment of the Center for Digital Ethics and Policy at Loyola in Chicago in 2010 signifies an effort to foster discussions and research on ethical behavior in the digital realm.
• 💲 Digital ethics encompasses a wide range of issues including privacy, content sharing, the sharing economy, artificial intelligence, digital behavior, accurate information, and access to the internet.
• 💳 Ethical considerations in the digital world include the implications of data collection, the permanence of online information, and the fairness of music sharing services.
• 💱 The debate over the ethical use of technology extends to areas like drone usage, AI in caregiving, and the potential risks of ceding control to artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
• 💴 The prevalence of online attacks, such as trolling, doxing, and swatting, raises questions about digital behavior and the anonymity that enables harmful actions.
• 💹 The challenge of discerning fake news from accurate information in a politically charged environment highlights the need for an ethics of accurate information and the role of service providers in disseminating news.
• 💸 The issue of internet access and the digital divide brings up questions about freedom and the relationship between access to technology and societal equality.
• 📱 The speaker advocates for better-informed digital citizens who hold themselves and others accountable for ethical behavior online, suggesting the hiring of Chief Ethicists by tech companies to guide ethical decision-making.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the story presented in the transcript?

The main focus of the story is the exploration of digital ethics and behavior in virtual worlds, using the example of elf avatars in Second Life and the real-life implications of online interactions.

What is Second Life and how does it relate to the story?

Second Life is a digital platform created by Linden Labs where users can create avatars and interact in a virtual world. It relates to the story as it is the setting where the characters Amadi and Carlos meet, form relationships, and where ethical dilemmas arise.

Who are Amadi and Carlos in the context of the story?

Amadi and Carlos are two characters who enter the Second Life community, become close friends, and eventually fall in love after dancing together at an event in the elf lands.

What significant change occurs with Amadi's character in Second Life?

Amadi's significant change is that they switch from playing a female avatar to a male avatar, which was not disclosed to the community, leading to various reactions and ethical discussions.

What is the High Council in the elf lands of Second Life?

The High Council is the governing body of the elf lands in Second Life, and Amadi is eventually asked to sit on it due to their contributions to the community through writing code.

Why did Carlos spend less time online after a few months?

Carlos was unable to spend less time online due to real-life activities, which is a common occurrence as people's online presence can be affected by their offline commitments.

What ethical issues does the speaker raise regarding behavior in digital worlds?

The speaker raises ethical issues such as privacy, content sharing, the role of artificial intelligence, digital behavior, accurate information, and access to the internet.

Who is Amani Al Araf and what is her relevance to the story?

Amani Al Araf is a character mentioned as a blogger living in Syria who wrote a popular blog called 'A Gay Girl in Damascus'. Her blog was later revealed to be written by an American graduate student, Tom McMaster, which highlights the ethical issues of identity and deception online.

What is the Center for Digital Ethics and Policy mentioned in the transcript?

The Center for Digital Ethics and Policy is an institution founded at Loyola in Chicago in 2010 to encourage research and conversation about digital ethics.

What does the speaker suggest as a solution to improve digital ethics?

The speaker suggests becoming better informed about ethical decision-making in the digital context, holding ourselves and others accountable for our online behavior, and endorsing a model of digital citizenship that includes responsibilities alongside freedoms.

What role does the speaker believe tech companies should play in digital ethics?

The speaker believes tech companies should hire Chief Ethicists who are trained professionals with access to the Executive Suite to help make better ethical decisions about the technology they release.

Outlines

00:00

🧝‍♂️ Ethical Dilemmas in Virtual Worlds

The speaker recounts a study conducted in Second Life, a digital platform created by Linden Labs, where users create avatars and interact in a boundary-less environment. The narrative focuses on two avatars, Amadi and Carlos, who form a close friendship and eventually fall in love. Amadi, who is skilled in coding, rises through the ranks to sit on the High Council of the elf community. However, when Amadi returns to the elflands as a male avatar, it sparks a variety of reactions from the community, ranging from calls for a ban to indifference. This situation highlights the lack of a universal ethical code for behavior in digital spaces, where technology has outpaced our moral decision-making capabilities.

05:00

🌐 The Consequences of Digital Deception

The speaker discusses the case of Amina Ara, a blogger who claimed to be a lesbian living in Syria and gained a following for her daring online presence. When she stopped posting, a Facebook group formed to seek her safety. It was later revealed that Amina was a fabrication by an American student, Tom MacMaster, aiming to draw attention to Middle Eastern issues. This example, along with others, underscores the ethical questions surrounding online behavior and the use of technology. The speaker then introduces the Center for Digital Ethics and Policy, established to foster discussions on digital ethics and encourage research in this field. The center addresses various ethical categories including privacy, content sharing, the sharing economy, artificial intelligence, digital behavior, and the accuracy of information.

10:03

🌐 Digital Citizenship and Ethical Responsibility

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of digital citizenship and ethical behavior online. They suggest that individuals should become better informed about digital ethics and hold themselves and others accountable for their online actions. The speaker proposes a model where tech companies hire Chief Ethicists to guide ethical decision-making and ensure transparency and respect in digital interactions. The vision is a world where honesty, directness, and kindness prevail in digital spaces, mirroring the positive outcomes seen in the elf lands of Second Life.

Keywords

💡Second Life

Second Life is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab where users can interact with each other through avatars. In the video, it serves as the backdrop for the story of Amadi and Carlos, highlighting the potential for virtual worlds to mirror real-life social dynamics and ethical dilemmas.

💡Ethnographic study

An ethnographic study is a type of social research that involves immersive observation of a culture or group. The video mentions a 2-year ethnographic study conducted in Second Life, emphasizing the researcher's interest in how people behave in a digital environment without physical boundaries.

💡Avatar

An avatar is a digital representation of a user in virtual environments. The script discusses how users in Second Life can create any kind of avatar, including elf avatars, which are central to the story of Amadi and Carlos' relationship.

💡Cross-gender play

Cross-gender play refers to individuals adopting a virtual identity of a different gender than their own. The video explores this concept through Amadi's transformation from a female to a male avatar, sparking debates about identity and ethics in virtual communities.

💡Digital ethics

Digital ethics is the study of moral principles in the digital age, particularly concerning online behavior and technology use. The video discusses the lack of a code of ethics for digital behavior and the need for ethical decision-making in the face of rapid technological advancements.

💡Amani araf

Amani araf is mentioned as a blogger who claimed to be a gay woman living in Syria, which is a country where homosexuality is illegal. This case illustrates the complexities of online identity and the ethical considerations surrounding the use of technology to represent oneself.

💡Digital citizenship

Digital citizenship refers to the norms of responsible, ethical behavior online. The video suggests that adopting a model of digital citizenship, which includes being civil and treating others with respect, could improve online interactions.

💡Chief ethicists

The video proposes that tech companies should hire Chief Ethicists to help guide ethical decision-making. These individuals would be responsible for ensuring that technology is developed and used in ways that align with ethical standards.

💡Fake news

Fake news refers to false information presented as news, often with the intent to deceive. The video raises concerns about the spread of misinformation online and the ethical responsibility of service providers in combating it.

💡Internet access

Internet access is the ability of individuals and organizations to connect to the Internet. The video discusses disparities in access, such as who has access to high-speed internet and who can access the full range of online content, which raises questions about equality and freedom in the digital age.

💡Ethical drone

An ethical drone is a concept mentioned in the video that refers to the responsible and moral use of drone technology. It raises questions about the ethical implications of using robots and AI in various aspects of life, such as caregiving for the elderly.

Highlights

Introduction to a story about elves in Second Life, a digital platform by Linden Labs.

Description of the freedom users have in creating content in Second Life.

Mention of the creation of elf avatars by users interested in elf literature.

Behind every avatar is a real-life human being.

Story of Amadi and Carlos, two elf avatars who fell in love in Second Life.

Amad's promotion within the elf hierarchy due to her coding skills.

Amad's transformation from a female to a male avatar and its implications.

Diverse reactions to Amad's cross-gender play in the elf community.

Lack of a code of ethics for behavior in the digital world.

The case of Amani Al Arafat, a blogger living in Syria, and the ethical implications of her story.

The revelation that Amani Al Arafat was a hoax by an American graduate student.

Establishment of the Center for Digital Ethics and Policy at Loyola University Chicago.

Categories of digital ethics: privacy, content sharing, sharing economy, robots and AI, digital behavior, accurate information, and access.

The importance of ethical decision-making in the era of digital technology.

The proposal for tech companies to hire Chief Ethicists.

The concept of digital citizenship and its responsibilities.

Vision of a digital world where humans and organizations treat each other with respect, honesty, and kindness.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

it's a story we're all familiar with

girl boy meets girl boy gets girl boy

loses girl but there's one difference

today I'm not going to talk about boys

and girls I'm going to to talk about

elves I was doing a 2-year ethnographic

study in a place called Second Life

Second Life is a digital platform built

by a company called Linden Labs the idea

was this they would build the platform

they would create a land mass an

atmosphere and then invite users to come

in and create

content as a researcher that idea of

human beings going into a world without

boundaries and being being able to do

whatever they wanted to was fascinating

in Second Life you first create an

avatar you can create any kind of Avatar

you like and the folks who are

interested in elf literature think of

Lord of the Rings created elf avatars

there were dros there were half elves

there were wood elves and yes there were

even a few Orcs in the community but the

thing that's important to remember is

behind every character in SE second life

is a real life human being sitting at a

at a keyboard somewhere

yeah so about the time I had been in the

community for a short while two people

entered we're going to call them amodi

and

Carlos and they learned the ropes

together and they became very close

friends and after a few weeks there was

a big event in the elf lands a dance so

these two ended up dancing together

and yes they fell in love and over the

next few weeks they shared hours

together they built a home together they

shared many details of their real

life and eventually they got

partnered Amad was a clever young lady

she wrote code so she was quickly

promoted within the elf hierarchy

because she was very useful to the

community and eventually she was asked

to sit on the High Council the governing

body of the elf

lands all seemed to be going well a few

months passed by however and Carlo

because of real life activities was able

to spend less and less time

online then one day Amad signed on came

to the elflands but there was a big

difference amadi was no longer a she

amadi was a he

now playing cross-gender in Virtual

Worlds and in virtual games and online

is not unusual but what was unusual in

this case is often times people

disclosed that they were playing

cross-gender and she had

not so I was very curious as to how

people would react to this and what I

found in the elflands as a researcher

was no PE no two people really had the

same reaction to it there was a broad

range from some people believe that Amad

should be banned from the

elflands some people felt like she

shouldn't be banned from the elflands

but that she should at the very least be

removed from a position of power and

trust and Authority uh in the high

hierarchy others said nothing should be

done it's the internet caveat empor let

the buyer bewar or as the New Yorker

cartoon famously said years ago on the

internet no one knows you're a

dog as a researcher I I found this very

curious this lack of uniform reaction so

I started digging a bit and trying to

find out what's a code of ethics for

behavior in a digital world and what I

found was there was none not just for a

digital world but for any Behavior

online we did not have a code of ethics

in other words the technology had

outpaced our ability to to make good

moral decisions about our

Behavior using that

technology I don't know if you know this

person her name is Amani araf she was a

blogger who is living in Syria she wrote

a very popular blog called a gay girl in

Damascus homosexual behavior is illegal

in Syria frowned upon and so she got

quite a following cuz people were very

interested in how a woman who was gay

and out could survive in the culture in

fact CNN did a uh email interview with

her to sort of get insight into the

issue she faced she blogged once that

she was concerned for her own safety

because she thought security forces were

following her then one day she stopped

blogging it was reported that three

armed men had taken her into custody

people were really frightened for her

safety a Facebook page sprung up the

free Amman ARA Facebook page quickly it

got 10,000 followers the US state

department said they would inquire into

her whereabouts and if she was

safe there's only one

problem here's who was writing the

blog Tom McMaster an American graduate

student who was studying at the

University of

Edinburgh why did he do it he said to

draw attention to issues in the Middle

East what this case what both of these

cases and dozens hundreds others of

cases uh made me think about again was

what kinds of ethical decisions are we

making online how are we using this

technology and it is our ability to sort

of make good decisions keeping Pace with

all that's happening in 2010 we founded

the center for digital ethics

and policy at lyola in Chicago the idea

was this to convene the conversation

about digital ethics but also to

encourage researchers and other folks to

do more good work on this digital ethics

topic digit digital ethics generally

falls into a number of different

categories privacy is one think Edward

Snowden in the

NSA what happens to our data online when

people or organizations collect it with

or without our

permission are we ever safe from

hackers how long does our information

live

online do we ever have the right to be

forgotten then there's this idea of

content sharing think Napster and

Spotify bit

torrent is it ever okay to file share

online and with the music sharing

services do musicians ever really get a

fair

shake and speaking of sharing what about

Uber and

Airbnb is Uber really not a

transportation company has Airbnb built

a platform that allows people to

systematically discriminate against

people of

color then comes the subject of robots

and artificial

intelligence what would an ethical drone

look

like is it okay to put a robot in a

senior center to help with

caregiving is Watson simply a gimmick

from IBM to sell H&R Block

services or is turning over control of

Our Lives to artificial intelligence and

the internet of things going to

eventually lead to our demise as

humans then there's digital behavior all

the attacks that happen online trolls

outing people giving out other people's

personal information doxing and swatting

and flaming this world of anonymous

Behavior where people attack and attack

in ways that they would never do face to

face or in the light of

day and what about accurate information

in these politically charged times where

can anyone go to find accurate

information what's fake news and what

isn't fake

news we live in an era where people can

create completely fictitious websites

filled with completely fictitious

stories and profit off of

those we live in an era where

politicians can make completely

fictitious statements in order to

distract the public from serious policy

issues what would an ethics of accurate

information look like would any

politician agree to

it and what role do the service

providers play in all this they're the

ones that often are passing on the fake

news how do we hold them accountable and

what role do they

play finally there's area of access who

has access to the internet and who

doesn't who has access to high speed and

who doesn't who can see the whole

internet and who can only see a bit of

the internet because of a politically

imposed

firewall what's the what's the

relationship between freedom and access

to

technology these are all important

questions

and the the real question comes up what

what can we do what do we do about all

this I think the answer is first we can

become better

informed we can think about ways in

which we can learn how digital decision

Mak uh learn about ethical decision

making how and how it applies to all

these digital

issues we can U hold accountable

ourselves online how do we behave online

every day how do we treat other people

and we can also help hold accountable to

other other people and organizations as

well I endorse a model of digital

citizenship citizenship tells us that we

have great freedoms but with those

freedoms come some responsibilities as

well

one of those responsibilities might be

treating each other

civil recently I wrote an editorial for

USA

Today asking for the large tech

companies to hire Chief

ethicists who could help them negotiate

ethical

decisionmaking these can't PE be people

who only have a title they'd have to be

trained ethicists who actually have

access to the Executive Suite

they could help Executives make better

decisions about the technology they're

releasing every day they can also

harness the knowledge and experience of

the many bright employees of these tech

companies who many of them also have

concerns about how the technolog is

being

used imagine a

world where both humans and

organizations

treated each other in digital spaces

with

respect and honesty and

kindness imagine a world where

organizations and people were direct

with each other and

transparent in such a world a boy might

meet a girl and be honest and direct and

all would be well in elf lands again

thank you

[Music]