There will be a great temptation to fully utilize AI-driven data analytics to promote the efficient delivery of government services to the public. But almost every CDO knows that while AI deployment can do some good, the unethical use of the same can also cause great harm.
As the government’s leaders on the frontline of the data revolution, CDOs should set the example for the rest of the federal bureaucracy. Data must always be used in an ethical manner and the CDO must balance the task of efficient service delivery with protecting the privacy of citizens and keeping them informed about the data being collected.
Christopher Wilson argues that government CDOs should become the primary champion for the ethical use of data in this article in Deloitte Insights:
Ethically motivated CDOs could find themselves in a uniquely challenging situation. The dynamic nature of data and technology means that it is nearly impossible to anticipate what kinds of resources and expertise will be needed to meet the ethical challenges posed by data-driven projects before one actually engages deeply with them. Even if it were possible to anticipate this, however, the limitations imposed by most government institutions would make it difficult to secure all the resources and expertise necessary, and the fundamentally ambiguous nature of ethical dilemmas makes it difficult to prioritize data ethics management over daily work.
Progressively assessing and meeting these challenges require a degree of flexibility that might not come naturally to all institutional contexts. But there are a few strategies that can help.
Whenever possible, CDOs should establish flexible systems for assessing and engaging with the ethical challenges that surround data-driven projects. Identifying a group of people within and across teams that are ready to reflect on these issues and are willing to be on standby for discussions can greatly enhance the efficiency of discussions. Setting up open invitations at the milestones and inflection points for every project or activity that has a data component facilitate constant attention. Also, it allows the project team to step back and explore ways to embed privacy principles in the early design stages. Keeping these discussions open and informal can help create the sense of dedication and flexibility often necessary to tackle complex challenges in contexts with limited resources. Keeping them regular can help instill an institutional culture of being thoughtful about data ethics.
In some contexts, it might make sense to formalize processes, creating bodies similar to the NYC task force mandated to assess equity, fairness, and accountability in how the city deploys algorithms. In other contexts, it may make more sense to consider alternative formats like data ethics lunches or short 30-minute brainstorming sessions immediately following standing meetings and try to get everybody on the same page about this being an effort to build and sustain meaningful trust between constituents and government.
