Speakers and panelists provided insights into the value and ethics of blockchain systems and noted that anything can be represented as a token of the technology. The discussions took place Friday (Oct. 8) as part of a virtual event hosted by the University of Arkansas Blockchain Center of Excellence.
The 2021 Blockchain For Business Conference had more than 400 registrants and comprised five panel discussions and multiple breakout sessions regarding aspects of blockchain technology. According to Statista, blockchain is an electronic list of connected records and verified records and is known for its association with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Mary Lacity, director of the Blockchain Center of Excellence and an information systems professor in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, explained that the future is not predestined, and she tells others she doesn’t know when asked about her outlook on technology. Lacity spoke about tech ethics in a panel with Cindy Moehring, who’s leading the business integrity leadership initiative at the Walton College.
“I believe we can come together as a community, and we can save the planet,” Lacity said. “What I’m really most excited about is we can have a world where power and control is decentralized and includes everybody. If you think about all of the technical capabilities that a blockchain enables, decentralization is the technical feature that inspires me and gives me the most hope.
“We can build a better world with technology if we build that world based on ethical principles,” she added. “Technology is not neutral. We can either use these technologies for malevolent or benevolent purposes. It all depends on whether that design is based on ethical principles.”
She pointed to the issues that social media has had on the confidence of young women or the use of fake news that’s undermining politics, health and wellbeing. She said those apps were made with an ethical void. But people can…
