by Matt Kapko, CIO from IDG (Excerpt)

America’s largest tech companies face a growing backlash over the potentially negative impacts of their strategic decisions and innovations. For example, companies like Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and product roadmaps that will replace millions of jobs during the coming years. Experts in marketing, technology and social awareness say it’s time for technology providers to assume greater responsibility for the personal pain that comes along with the collective gain.

Emerging technology is at almost perpetual odds with the status quo, but U.S. society is coming to realize that dynamic can lead to job losses, unfair treatment of social services and a stain on civic engagement. The power and influence that some tech companies command is being reevaluated in light of the myriad ways people are being disenfranchised in some way by their actions.

“Ignorance is bliss until it’s not,” says Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group. “Technology companies that do not assess the impact of their work are prioritizing shareholders and stakeholders over consequences.” A profit-above-all-else mindset creates distrust among users and can quickly erode usage, and companies that do not acknowledge or accept responsibility for their involvement risk abandonment, according to Solis. […]

Tech leaders need to show greater empathy

Today’s tech entrepreneurs don’t have any less empathy than their predecessors […]

Solis says empathy is one of the key ingredients in the future of business relationships with users, and as with any form of progress, change starts with accepting the reality of the problem at hand. “That takes sincere and transparent communication in the moment of truth and following it,” he says. “Companies must also get to the root of the problem to solve it and publicize the effort and results.” […]