I was born with a strong sense of justice and an unwavering commitment to doing what is right, combined with an affinity for technology and an entrepreneurial spirit, I am driven to create positive change and bring innovative solutions to the world. This is what has led me to pursue human centre technology companies. I’m proud to have been working for a green tech scale up in Amsterdam as a lead of People and Agile process for the department of Tech.

Who we are depends on the lenses we choose to view the world through, which are based on what we believe to be true. If I want to have an impact in this world, I would like to start by triggering your thinking with the right questions and by exploring how our creations impact our world. In order to continue making the world a better place, I need to deepen my knowledge of ethics and how we as humans use our moral compasses to navigate the world.

Now, you may be wondering why ethics in technology. The answer is simple: it is a field I am well-versed in and have a strong passion for. It is an area that I feel has a huge impact on society and how we think and act. Technology is more ingrained in our lives than we realise, and beyond the technology we see, there are the people who develop it. I’m not just referring to developers, they are only one part of the entire value chain of the products and services we use. All these people are just like you and me, they also have their own struggles and successes in life. Although we want them to be unbiased when creating new technologies, it is simply not possible and not very human of us. However, we can help them recognize their biases and the impact of the technology they create. We all have good intentions, but those intentions often benefit only a few and not all.

Ethics in technology should not be viewed as a means of stifling innovation, but as a tool for fostering creativity and the ability to create something long-lasting and wholesome. In order to do what is right, I must first learn and solidify my knowledge, and what better way to do that than through a doctoral program. This will allow me to create something new which helps society. I can achieve this by sharing my research and knowledge insights through publications in journals and speeches at conferences. This is my way of making the world a better place.

Katherine Elizabeth Bustos Rodas
Doctoral candidate and researcher