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EPISODE THREE

Professor
Jacqueline Alderson 3:41

The University of Western Australia Minderoo Tech & Policy Lab

The professor reprograming the relationship between humans and technology

Hardships are often a blessing in disguise. They are life’s way of helping us build resilience and narrow in on what it is we want to achieve. For Professor Jacqueline Alderson, her hardships formed the subliminal motivation behind her career.

When she was fifteen, Alderson suffered a catastrophic sports injury that would require eight knee surgeries. Unable to play sports again, she developed a curiosity for the science of motion – why we move, how we move, and the consequences of what happens when we do so.

She now specializes in understanding the impact of technology on human functioning and finding the ways in which it can bring the most value to society. Here, she offers her advice for transforming a business model through a responsible lens.

1. Humanize data

Historically, Alderson’s focus was on replicating the human self within an engineering framework known as a “digital twin.” Digital twins work by collecting a large pool of personal data to create a virtual copy of an individual’s physical and mental systems.

As she explains, “if we have enough information about a person, we can start to understand the predictive capabilities of their digital twin. Within healthcare, we can map someone's health and make interventions that will improve their life trajectory.” For instance, a doctor could use data to personalize a surgical procedure, or an engineer could use it to perfect a prosthetic fitting.

Despite its transformative potential, the power of a digital twin should not be misinterpreted. Alderson believes the truth often lies in what the data doesn’t tell us as it’s almost impossible to reduce who we are as people and how we operate in the world to a single data point. By considering our humanness, data handlers will be more inclined to treat us as peers as opposed to numbers.

2. Encourage ownership

“Organizations need to reframe how they think about data,” reveals Alderson. “They are the steward of that information. They should only act on it in the best interests of the individual” and only if they have been given permission to do so. After all, ownership falls to the person from whom that data has been collected and not the other way around – something which isn’t always made clear.

To guarantee control, transparency, and accountability, people need to ask questions about their data. How will it be used? How can they access it? What are their rights? Alderson doesn’t think enough conversations are being had between individuals and organizations, which is why more formal action needs to be taken.

Governance should be a prerequisite for all data handling. “We need to start regulating to ensure vulnerable people are not targeted and have an opportunity for recourse,” admits Alderson. “But more importantly, we need to hold government and regulatory bodies to account when they fail to protect people.”

3. Challenge technology

Technology has always been a fundamental part of Alderson’s career; she has depended on it to improve the mobility of those most in need. But in recent years, she has become more critical of how and when she adopts it.

It is this mindfulness that underpins her research at the University of Western Australia. Working with a collective of biomechanics, computer scientists, engineers, and policymakers, she is challenging the inevitability of technology and identifying when its promise doesn’t match up with reality.

For instance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is so often deployed to solve problems that don’t exist or to keep up with appearances that have no bearing. Alderson describes it as using “technology for technology's sake.” But “this is not where we need to be if we're going to use it in a way that really supports human progression.”

4. Recenter people

To build technological solutions that have a true purpose rather than a commercial agenda, Alderson says it’s about recentering people in their development: “We can create a world that is not necessarily driven by technology but by what we need as humans” and as a society.

Just take ridesharing – through which so many organizations are capitalizing on getting people from A to B. According to Alderson, there is no excuse not to have a ridesharing platform that looks after drivers, prioritizes vulnerable communities, and ensures taxes go back to supporting road infrastructure and local people.

All it takes is a shift in mindset. Instead of thinking about the financial gain of their solutions, businesses should think about the human purpose they will serve. “It may not always be profitable, but it may be something that we invest in – just as we invest in healthcare,” reveals Alderson.

5.Find integrity

Whatever your business vision, Alderson believes the secret to realizing it is to stay true to your values. By checking yourself against them on a regular basis, you can mature in a way that doesn’t lose the essence of what it is you’re about.

So many businesses fall into the trap of transforming because it seems like the right thing to do or doing so too quickly because it seems like the only way to keep up with the pace of change. But “you should only transform at a speed that allows you to maintain your values,” advises Alderson. If it comes at the cost of integrity, it may not be worth doing.

Beyond everything, transformation means “a marked change” – which is why businesses should view it as an opportunity to make a lasting impact on its people, community, and environment, and not as a quick fix.

Alderson has always valued the principles of fairness, justice, and transparency. She has carried them with her throughout her personal and professional life, from her sporting setbacks to her career breakthroughs. It is this consistency that has allowed her to feel centered and what she believes will help others find their place in the world.

You can hear more from Jacqueline Alderson on our podcast

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