Questão 39 do ITA 2027

The sector encompassing health tech, education tech, cleantech, femtech and enterprise environmental, social and governance (ESG) software is seeing increased investments, reaching $79 billion globally in 2021. But at the Tech for Good Institute (TFGI), we found that varying definitions across the tech for good ecosystem meant varying expectations. Without a shared understanding of tech for good, it’s no surprise that the jury’s still out on whether technology is delivering a net positive impact.

In February 2023, TFGI ran a flash poll on public perceptions of tech for good in Southeast Asia. Of the 212 respondents from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, only 46% strongly agreed or agreed that technology and the digital economy have delivered their promise for the region. Almost as many (37%) stayed neutral. [...]

Responsible digital economy companies examine their systems, processes, products and services to identify and mitigate negative consequences in upstream development and downstream impacts of products and services.

Digital technologies can be inherently values-driven, so upstream considerations include developing systems with inclusion, security and data protection baked in, with transparency to build trust. For example, developers can proactively ensure datasets that train algorithms are unbiased or design systems for frictionless data sharing or systematic data protection.

Downstream considerations include maintaining consumer choice and protecting livelihoods and users’ health and well-being. With rapidly evolving digital technologies, operating responsibly is a moving goalpost. As regulators pay attention to players in the digital economy, the business case for mitigating negative impacts can be as straightforward as maintaining licences.

In our poll, only 14% of respondents thought responsibility alone constituted tech for good, suggesting sustainability is necessary but more is needed.