IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020 - 16

open access to this critical data and
knowledge include:
■■

The creation and support of
multi-stakeholder, consensusbased processes to identify pri-
ority data needed in the public
domain. This includes under-
standing:
** What data, critical for envi-
ronmental sustainability and
social equity, already exists in

■■

Implementing laws and regula-
tions to enable all of the above.

public procurement. Public-pri-
vate investments can also be
targeted to a broader range of
recipients along the entire inno-
vation spectrum, from funda-
mental research, to engagement
activities, to technology.
■■ Innovative revenue models:
Various revenue models must
be explored to facilitate publicprivate collaborations in sup-
port of building and managing
AI and other digital technologies
for the benefit of people and the
planet. For example, privately
owned data (proprietary basis)
could be bought and sold in a
fine-grained state but be made
publicly available free of charge
in a less granular state.
■■ Expanded ownership and in-
-
stitutional vehicles: These
might include the expansion of
and open access to data trusts
(mechanisms for stewardship of
data for the benefit of a group of
organisations or people), mis-
sion-focused incubators, and
cooperatives (for example,
socia lly or iented platfor ms
for innovation).

Public-Private Collaborations to
Develop And Manage AI and
Other Digital Technologies
that Support Environmental
-Sustainability and Social Equity

Public-private collaborations p
- rovide
a model for advancing -c omplex,
large-scale projects. While tradition-
ally used in sectors like transport
and infrastructure, the same
model can be extended to
sustainability transforma-
tions. This would enable a
broad diversity of actors -
We must decarbonize our society
from global technology,
finance, and media indus-
over the coming 30 years.
tries, to non-governmental
orga nisations, nationa l
and local governments, and civil soci-
private or public domains?
ety groups  - to rally expertise,
Who is harvesting and provid-
financing, and ideas toward the com-
ing such data, and who has
mon goal of a sustainable and equi-
access to them?
** What critical data is missing
table world. Strong, enforceable
and how can they be obtained?
measures should be instituted to
** What are the environmental
ensure the needed collaborations
and social costs of data col-
and outcomes. These include:
lection, storage, and use?
■■ Ensuring access to good quali-
■■ Regulation of platforms: Simi-
ty data.
lar to the management of public
** This entails developing stan-
utilities, regulation can facilitate
dards-such as providing for
more equitable and just collabo-
data transparency, traceabili-
ration and market opportuni-
ty, ownership, and anonymi-
ties. Public and private actors
ty-to ensure that data for
should be involved in develop-
public use is of the highest
ing and monitoring guidelines
quality, and is widely accessi-
and regulations for the equita-
ble and usable.
ble use of platforms, technolo-
■■ Instilling trust and transparency
gy, software, and data (including
in processes that turn data into
a universal right to be forgotten).
■■ Diversified investments: Gov-
knowledge. This includes under-
ernments are limited by bud-
standing and supporting:
** Transparency in data prove-
gets, whereas the private sector
can be risk-averse. Public-pri-
nance and algorithms,
** Safety checks before deploy-
vate collaborations can over-
ment of autonomous systems
come these limitations with
operation and on-going moni-
scope for creativity in invest-
toring, and
ment type, including impact
** Clear governance of algorithm
investments, blended finance,
development and use.
prizes and competitions, and

16

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

Research and Innovation Focused
on Transdisciplinary Challenges
and Opportunities
Deeper investigation is needed to
better understand the underlying
drivers and dynamics of the sys-
tems that are maintaining our
unsustainability. It will also be
imperative to assess the opportuni-
ties and risks of leveraging AI and
other digital technologies for steer-
ing these systems towards a more
sustainable and equitable world.
Examples of questions to be ex--
plored include:
■■

∕

How are AI and other digital
technologies shifting the dis-
tribution of power, norms and
values, rules, practices, and

JUNE 2020
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - June 2020
