In the digital age, how we communicate, conduct business and socialize is revolutionizing our world. The explosion of data-driven and artificial intelligence technologies are transforming the way we live and work, altering relationships between government and citizens, businesses and consumers, researchers and the researched, public and private sectors, and individuals, communities and societies.

While data driven and algorithmic technologies can potentially help grow the economy, improve health and education, support national security, protect the environment, enable more energy efficiency, drive innovation and progress, and support more resilient, sustainable communities and cultures, there is a growing need to identify and address the risks associated with their design, development and use. In this unit the problems associated with the application of these information technologies in government and big business that leads to greater surveillance of citizens by states and consumers by businesses, disempowerment of individuals and vulnerable communities, increased discrimination, threats to social inclusion, social justice, human and civil rights, self-determination and privacy, and widens the divide between the data haves and have-nots will be explored, alongside the emerging ethical, legislative and strategic frameworks that aim to address these concerns.