In May, employees protested about Google’s involvement in the US Defense Department’s Project Maven, which uses image recognition technologies for military purposes. Other technology companies have experienced similar protests: Microsoft for its involvement with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Amazon over the use of its facial recognition technology by the police. Technology companies are especially prone to such crises, in part because their employees belong to relatively privileged groups whose skills are in demand and are increasingly confident and prepared to act on their conscience. Increasingly, managing a company implies being aware of the ethical or moral implications of decisions and the possible conflicts they may generate among the workforce. The idea of a company as an army whose soldiers march unquestioningly to orders from on high is increasingly unsustainable and outdated.

Source: Forbes August 17, 2018 21:33 UTC