Ethics Can't Be a Side Hustle
20 Mar 2017But here’s the thing. You can’t help Uber build Greyball during the day, or help Palantir design databases to round up immigrants as your main gig, and then buy ethics offsets by doing a non-profit side hustle. We need you to work ethically during that day job much more than we need you working with that non-profit.
Every Uber employee who touched Greyball, a tool meant to deceive people working for the public good, failed an ethics test. They were either told exactly what the tool would be used for, or they didn’t do their due diligence in finding out. But every designer who touched the tool failed an ethics test. Every engineer who touched the tool failed an ethics test. Every project manager who touched the tool failed an ethics test. Every one down the line failed an ethics test. And passing those tests during your day jobs are infinitely more important than helping a non-profit for a few hours a week.