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On Campus Podcast – Introducing CITI Program’s New Podcast: On Tech Ethics

Season 1 – Episode 33 – Introducing CITI Program’s New Podcast: On Tech Ethics

On Tech Ethics is a new podcast from CITI Program focused on all things related to technology ethics, including topics such as artificial intelligence, autonomous technology, and much more. In this episode of On Campus, Daniel Smith, Associate Director of Content and Education for CITI Program, provides us with an overview of what to expect from On Tech Ethics, how listeners can become more involved with the podcast, and a preview of the first episode of On Tech Ethics. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

 


Episode Transcript

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Darren Gaddis: From CITI Program, I’m Darren Gaddis and this is On Campus. Today, what is On Tech Ethics from CITI Program, topics we can expect from this new podcast, and a preview of the first episode from On Tech Ethics. I spoke with Daniel Smith, Associate Director of Content and Education at CITI Program. Daniel has with CITI Program for over six years managing the development, maintenance and growth of educational content across various subject areas. Daniel’s subject areas include technology ethics, animal care and use, and environmental health and safety. He holds a BA in journalism and technical communication from Colorado State University. As a reminder, this podcast is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal advice or guidance. You should consult with your organization’s attorneys if you have questions or concerns about relevant laws and regulations that may be discussed in this podcast. Additionally, the views expressed in this podcast are solely those at the presenter. Hi, Daniel. Thank you for joining me today.

Daniel Smith: Hi Darren. Thanks for having me.

Darren Gaddis: To get us started today, would you mind sharing a little about yourself in your area of focus at CITI Program?

Daniel Smith: Yeah, absolutely. So like you said, my name is Daniel Smith and I am the Associate Director of Content and Education at the CITI Program. In my role at the CITI Program, I work with various subject matter experts to develop mostly online courses and webinars in different areas of research, ethics, compliance, and professional development. And some of the areas that I focus on with that content is the humane care and use of animals, environmental health and safety, and the responsible use of technologies.

Darren Gaddis: I’ve heard CITI Program is launching a new podcast on tech ethics. Could you tell me a little bit more about this new podcast from CITI Program?

Daniel Smith: Definitely. So as I mentioned, I get to work with different subject matter experts to develop educational content on different topics, and one of the unique aspects of this is that I’m continually exposed to different perspectives and emerging topics and trends in research and development, and technology is increasingly a central part of those emerging topics and trends, but it presents many ethical questions and other considerations for people across industries and fields of studies. So the concept for this podcast series is that it will expose listeners to a broad range of technology ethics topics through conversations with experts. And we’re going to discuss different technologies, the associated ethical issues and other important considerations for people involved in the design, development, oversight, and use of technologies and research and other contexts. So some examples of topics that we’ll explore are AI ethics and human subjects research, the ethics and governance of chimeric research, and ethical issues to consider when commercializing technologies developed at universities. And like I said, those are just a few examples. The topics that we cover are going to be really broad, and the intent is that I want listeners to learn about and take away things that apply directly to their work and that they can utilize in their day-to-day activities so they can better navigate technology.

Darren Gaddis: What are some of the current areas of interest around tech ethics for you personally?

Daniel Smith: Oh, that’s a great question. So obviously always at the forefront of news today is AI ethics. I think that there’s constantly evolving even on a daily basis where AI is going and the different uses and things like that. So I think that there’s a lot of emerging trends there. And then also on the regulatory and the oversight side, there’s a lot of new developments frequently happening, whether it’s in Europe with the EU AI Act or even recently in the US with the blueprint that the Office of Science and Technology policy released for an AI Bill of Rights. Obviously those are just proposed regulatory frameworks at this point, but they’re just kind of examples on where things are headed. And I think it’s an interesting area that is constantly evolving.

Darren Gaddis: That sounds really exciting. What can listeners expect to take away from On Tech Ethics with CITI Program?

Daniel Smith: Yeah. So going back to what I was just saying, my hope really is just that through conversations on this podcast, that listeners feel better equipped to responsibly navigate their work involving different technologies. And in each episode we will also share some additional resources that listeners can check out to learn more.

Darren Gaddis: Where are listeners able to find new episodes and learn more about On Tech Ethics with CITI Program?

Daniel Smith: Yeah. So it feels cliche to say, but you can listen to On Tech Ethics and CITI Program’s other podcasts wherever you get your podcasts such as Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You can also follow CITI Program on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter where we’ll announce new episodes and other news. And of course, I encourage everyone to check out citiprogram.org to learn more about the podcast and our other content offerings.

Darren Gaddis: What should listeners expect from the first episode of On Tech Ethics from CITI Program?

Daniel Smith: Yeah, definitely. So we actually are going to talk about AI ethics and we will touch on the AI Bill of Rights and the EU AI Act that I just mentioned. So in that podcast, we’re going to break down what human subjects research is, what artificial intelligence is, and we’re also going to talk about some of the challenges that people involved in the oversight of human subjects research that involves AI face, and also how they can overcome some of those current challenges. And we’re also going to go over some additional resources that are out there that people can check out and directly apply into their work, and I think they’re going to find them really helpful.

Darren Gaddis: What else do you want listeners to know about On Tech eEthics, the new podcast from CITI Program?

Daniel Smith: Oh, that’s a great question. So really I definitely want to hear from people about the topics that they want to be discussed on the podcast and to share recommendations for guests, and that even means that they can nominate themselves. We have a short form that will include in the show notes for this podcast where people can submit their suggestions.

Darren Gaddis: Let’s take a listen to a short preview of the first episode of On Tech Ethics.

Daniel Smith: So given how AI works, what are some of the main challenges that you think IRB members face when it comes to the review of research involving AI?

Daniel Smith: So as I see it, there are two main challenges when it comes to the review of AI research involving human participants. So the first one is people thinking that the validation and testing of predictive models, for example, is not research, and therefore it wouldn’t require IRB per that federal definition. And then the second is this false belief that the scope of the IRB is limited and shouldn’t consider how this technology might affect society. And my position on both of these is yes, it is research, and yes, it is somewhat within the IRB scope and it’s these federal definitions that really help us in answering this question. And I’d like to explain that.

Darren Gaddis: I’m super excited for CITI Program’s new podcast On Tech Ethics. Daniel, thank you for joining me today.

Daniel Smith: Thank you, Darren.

Darren Gaddis: Be sure to follow, like and subscribe to On Campus with CITI Program to stay in the now. If you enjoy this podcast, you might also be interested in CITI Program’s other podcast On Tech Ethics and OnResearch. You can listen to all of CITI Program’s podcasts on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other streaming services. I also invite you to review our content offerings regularly as we are continually adding new courses and webinars that may be of interest to you. All of our content is available to you anytime through organizational and individual subscriptions.

 


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Meet the Guest

Daniel Smith, BA – Associate Director of Content and Education for CITI Program

Daniel Smith is the Associate Director of Content and Education at CITI Program. He focuses on developing educational content in areas such as the responsible use of technologies, humane care and use of animals, and environmental health and safety. He received a BA in journalism and technical communication from Colorado State University.


Meet the Host

Team Member darren gaddis

Darren Gaddis, Host, On Campus Podcast – CITI Program

He is the host of the CITI Program’s higher education podcast. Mr. Gaddis received his BA from University of North Florida, MA from The George Washington University, and is currently a doctoral student at Florida State University.