What is a data ethicist?

As business becomes increasingly data-driven , the ways in which we generate and handle data continue to grow. Data is everywhere – and is having an increasing impact on our lives, especially with the rise of algorithms for automated decision-making. It is therefore incumbent upon organizations that collect and process our data to ensure it is managed appropriately and responsibly.

A data ethicist is responsible for ensuring the ethical management of data, such that data is collected, stored, processed, and transmitted in an appropriate and responsible manner. This relatively recent role has arisen due to the amount of data organizations now preside over and has quickly become important, especially for large organizations that hold personally identifiable information.

“Over the years, as I’ve worked with data, one of the themes that has become more prevalent as technology has advanced is data management and data governance, where companies tried to get a handle on the totality of their data and how they maintained the quality of their data,” says Nicholas Shearer, an expert practitioner in data and ethics.

What is a data ethicist?

Ultimately, a data ethicist is responsible for ensuring that an organization’s data gathering, storage, and processing practices are all reasonable and do not carry undue potential harms for users and wider society. Data ethicists also review data policies, ensure data processing methodologies are adhered to, and communicate these policies to the C-suite and the management board as required.

A data engineer and a data ethicist are quite different, although both roles manage information. The data engineer is responsible for maximizing profitability from data, whilst a data ethicist ensures data is appropriately handled. These roles can occasionally run contrary to each other and it is therefore essential that clear priorities are established in advance and that conflict resolution strategies are in place to mitigate lengthy discussions and possible resentment.

“While data engineers build and maintain data infrastructure and AI ethicists examine the broader implications of AI systems, data ethicists specifically concentrate on ethical questions surrounding data practices,” says Giada Pistilli, principal ethicist for Hugging Face. “This includes issues of privacy, consent, fairness, transparency, and the societal impact of data-driven decisions.

The role of a data ethicist within an organization is driven by communication, and their objective of ensuring data is properly managed can potentially bring them into conflict with other departments that are seeking to maximize profitability from their data.

A data ethicist will typically engage with all aspects of an organization’s hierarchy, from data collectors to the management board. However, in order to be effective, a data ethicist should at least have a voice within the boardroom. The work of a data ethicist is not about preventing change, Shearer explains, but ensuring organizations properly understand the implications of any digital transformation.

“It’s illogical to say it’s going to restrict innovation because surely you would always want to have an ethical understanding at the core of what you do with the systems you create, or the data you buy in and then use, which is a big thing for AI,” says Shearer. “Quite a lot of the data sets that are used are completely opaque, including the structure and history where that data actually came from.”

The need for data ethicists

Various legislative measures have already been enacted to protect user privacy, such as GDPR, but regulatory compliance only goes so far and is often considered the bare minimum. Regulation also typically lags behind technological development and thus some aspects of legislation may be outdated or fail to incorporate new recommendations or guidelines.

Even if a particular methodology for data processing may be considered legislatively compliant, that does not always equate to it being ethically appropriate. Likewise, organizations are now facing greater scrutiny from public bodies, and the media, checking that their data management policies and business practices are not exploitative.

Organizations using personally identifiable information or exploiting user data for their own ends can suffer reputational harm. Furthermore, existing and potential clients may consider taking their business elsewhere, if they do not feel that their data will be handled responsibly. Building trust has therefore become a valuable asset in modern business: not only must data be appropriately and ethically handled, but data processing also needs to be conducted transparently.

“By dealing with data in an ethical way, it gives us more defined innovation that will not annoy people and have them leave your product,” says Shearer.

The responsibilities of a data ethicist should not be combined with other roles involving data processing, such as a data scientist, as this could lead to a potential conflict of interest. Ideally, it should be an exclusive role, thereby allowing for clear lines of accountability.

Being a data ethicist is – by its very nature – a multi-disciplinary role. It is essential that data ethicists have excellent communication skills, as they will be expected to manage projects, negotiate opposing drivers, and balance short-term benefits with long-term gains. They also need the ability to evaluate large data sets and understand the potential social implications of data processing.

Data ethicists typically have degrees in sociology, economics, or political science, but this is not exclusively the case. They also require an understanding of computing, including being up to date with emerging technologies such as generative AI, the data used to train AI, and a strong understanding of statistics. Being able to use machine learning for data analysis is also a core demand.

The need for data ethicists will continue to grow, especially as more AI systems are deployed. Data that is responsibly collected and demonstrably free of bias will become a valuable commodity and AI ethicists are already emerging as a growing role for developers. For smaller organizations, it may be possible to combine the responsibilities of a data ethicist and AI ethicist into a single role, though larger organizations are likely to keep the roles separate for the reasons laid out above.

“Data ethicists will become increasingly important,” says Pistilli. “The increasing privacy regulations and growing public awareness of data ethics issues will drive demand for this expertise.”