Daily Trojan: Students, experts talk using tech ‘4’ good

Written by GRIFFIN DOBBINS

Students, alongside tech industry professionals, spoke at the first-ever Tech4Good Student Symposium Tuesday night at Bovard Auditorium. Startup founders, ethical technology advocates and programmers included in the lineup spoke about the potential dangers of technological advancement and how they’ve found ways to use technology for social good.

Coordinated by Shift SC, a student organization focused on “human-centered and socially responsible technology,” the event had more than 30 students and USC community members in attendance.

Adam Novak, a junior majoring in computer science and East Asian languages and cultures, founded Shift SC last year to spark a conversation about the ethical problems and potential consequences posed by technology, despite its benefits.

“We’re basically looking at the ways technology creates unintended consequences in society and how we can shift technology as a whole towards the better,” Novak said.

Shift SC Symposium initiative lead Caroline Kenney opened the event with a talk about why she joined the organization and planned the event. She drew inspiration from her father, who lost his hearing entirely as a child. When he had his daughter, he decided to get a cochlear implant to be able to hear her voice. Kenney said she saw firsthand how technology could be used to improve, or even transform, people’s lives.

Find more about this article at https://dailytrojan.com/2022/04/27/students-experts-talk-using-tech-4-good/