CSR Trends in the Tech Industry

#Diversity in high-tech fields remains critically low. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently reported that #Black and #Latino professionals are underrepresented in high-tech roles, especially in leadership. These numbers highlight ongoing structural barriers in hiring, promotion and retention. This gap is a missed opportunity to tap into a wealth of diverse talent and perspectives essential to the future of tech. However, addressing and thoroughly fixing these challenges will require time, consistent effort and a long-term commitment to systemic change. Companies can support the progression of representation in tech by investing in training, mentorship and internship opportunities that open doors for people who were historically shut out. Programs like internXL, a platform that is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the internship hiring process for top companies, are making a significant impact. Similarly, the expansion of STEM education at institutions like Cornell University is helping to connect talented young people from underrepresented communities with opportunities for high-tech careers. When we work together to remove these barriers, we’re fostering a more inclusive workforce and strengthening innovation, problem-solving and leadership in the industry. Let’s build a tech future that reflects the diversity of our society. https://bit.ly/3UNtOCh

Inspired by the protests following the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and the release of body cam footage that contradicted police reports, computer science major Devshi Mehrotra co-created JusticeText—an AI platform that transforms hours of video evidence into searchable, automated transcripts to support criminal cases. The use of body cams, initially intended to advance police accountability, comes with challenges like storage costs, inconsistent usage, and the sheer volume of footage for public defenders to review. JusticeText leverages technology to bridge these gaps, providing much-needed support for evidence review in these cases. Currently used by 65 public defender offices, JusticeText has processed over 15,000 hours of footage and raised over $3 million in funding—proving that a school project can evolve into a transformative tool for justice. Devshi’s work exemplifies how AI can drive social change! Her work is a powerful reminder that when technology meets passion, we can meaningfully benefit our communities and create pathways toward a more equitable future. https://lnkd.in/gZwC5SPE

Global sustainability efforts will continue despite setbacks 🌎 Despite anticipated changes in U.S. federal climate policies, sustainability efforts continue to gain momentum through decentralized action, global leadership, and economic necessity. This resilience underscores a broader shift where local governments, international players, and financial markets collectively drive progress. Subnational governments in the U.S. have historically stepped up when federal support recedes. During the first Trump administration, initiatives like New York City’s Local Law 97 demonstrated the capacity of cities and states to lead on climate action. With recent recommitments from hundreds of mayors and an increase in Democratic governors, this trend is poised to continue, ensuring sustainability remains a priority. Globally, China is shaping the future of clean energy leadership. Significant investments in renewable energy capacity, both domestically and for export, are positioning China as a critical player in global sustainability. With two-thirds of the world’s new solar and wind energy projects underway, its efforts are setting new benchmarks for affordability and accessibility in clean technology, influencing international climate commitments. Financial markets are also adapting to the growing risks posed by climate change. The rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events are driving the need for businesses to align with sustainability principles. Investors are increasingly prioritizing environmental considerations, with data showing that climate-focused companies are gaining access to more favorable financial terms, including lending discounts and targeted investment strategies. The convergence of local action, international leadership, and market-driven incentives ensures that sustainability efforts will not only persist but evolve. These developments highlight the importance of staying aligned with global trends and preparing for a future where sustainability becomes a foundational element of economic and environmental resilience. Source: Harvard Business Review #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange

Many teams believe they’re being inclusive when they say, “We kept accessibility in mind from the start." But good intentions aren’t the same as meaningful inclusion. I’ve been doing accessibility and inclusive design work for 25 years. Over the last decade, I’ve focused more deeply on what true disability inclusion really means—especially when it comes to power in the design relationship. Again and again, I’ve seen the same pattern: there are levels to inclusion. And only one of them truly shifts power. Here’s how that journey tends to unfold... ranked from least to most inclusive: Level 1: “We kept accessibility in mind.” You didn’t include disabled people. You included the idea of them. This is empathy without participation, and honestly... it’s not enough. Level 2: “We tested with disabled people just before launch.” There’s progress here—real people were involved. But testing at the end only lets you ask: “Do you accept what we built?” It’s too late for meaningful change. This is just late-stage validation. Level 3: “We tested early AND at the end.” Now there’s room for impact. People with disabilities had a chance to shape the work before it was finished. Their feedback could actually change the outcome—and that matters. Level 4: “We included disabled people throughout the process.” Even better. You've moved from on from a "testing" mindset. You brought people in during idea generation, design, development, and launch. You did research. You listened. You adjusted. That’s inclusion in action. Level 5: “We co-created the solution.” ✅ This is the gold standard. You didn’t just include people—you gave them power. They helped shape the goals, question the methods, and guide the direction. It wasn’t just "your" product. It was "ours" -- co-created together. Your greatest power is to give that power away. Inclusive design means shared decisions—not just shared feedback. If you’re not sure where to start, ask yourself: 👉 Where in our process do disabled people have the power to shape what we build? And if the answer is “nowhere”—it’s time to change that. #InclusiveDesign #Accessibility #DesignLeadership #CoCreation #DisabilityInclusion #UXDesign #ProductDesign

𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐆 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲𝐁𝐨𝐭🌆 In the heart of smart city innovation, a new development emerges—the EDAG CityBot. This is a modular robotic vehicle with its AI-driven swarm intelligence and versatility, the CityBot is poised to address a myriad of urban challenges, from efficient transportation to seamless city maintenance. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐆 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲𝐁𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭: 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧: The CityBot's modular nature allows it to adapt to various tasks—whether it's transporting goods, cleaning streets, or providing maintenance services, making it a true jack-of-all-trades in urban environments. 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Leveraging the power of AI, CityBots can communicate and operate in swarms, optimizing their routes and tasks without human intervention, ensuring high efficiency and responsiveness to city needs. 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲: Designed for the future, the CityBot promises to reduce urban congestion, lower emissions, and support sustainable city initiatives through its autonomous, electric-powered operations. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: With advanced AI and object recognition capabilities, CityBots can seamlessly integrate into smart city infrastructures, interacting intelligently with their surroundings and providing data-driven insights to improve urban living. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: The potential benefits of integrating CityBots into urban landscapes are immense. By automating routine tasks, cities can allocate human resources more effectively, focusing on innovation and quality of life improvements. Moreover, the reduction in traffic congestion and pollution could significantly contribute to creating healthier, more sustainable urban environments. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Despite the promising outlook, deploying CityBots on a large scale will require overcoming technical, regulatory, and social hurdles. Ensuring the safety and reliability of autonomous systems, addressing privacy and security concerns, and achieving public acceptance are critical steps towards realizing this vision. 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: Collaboration between technologists, urban planners, policymakers, and citizens will be key to navigating the challenges and unlocking the full potential of such innovations. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬? How do you envision the role of robotics and AI in the future of urban living? What challenges do you think cities will face in integrating technologies like the CityBot? In what ways can communities contribute to shaping the development and implementation of smart city solutions? #ai #genai #innovation #robotics #artificialintelligence

Environmental multilateralism isn’t always easy. It’s sometimes messy and arduous. But even in complex geopolitical times, collaboration across borders and differences is the only way to protect the foundation of humanity’s existence—Planet Earth. UNEP’s latest Annual Report highlights both the progress and challenges in tackling the triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Among many other things, over the past year the UN Environment Programme has: ⁃ Laid out exactly what nations need to do in the next round of national climate plans and supported many nations in preparing these plans ⁃ Helped nations and companies take action on methane emissions, with real success ⁃ Provided finance and technical support on everything from ecosystem restoration to clean air ⁃ Partnered with the private sector to align businesses and finance with with action on the triple planetary crisis ⁃ Backed projects making a tangible difference in the lives of people around the world from Kenya to Mexico to Niue This support is only possible thanks to UNEP’s funding partners. For over 50 years, UNEP has been the leading global authority on the environment—mobilizing action through science, raising awareness, building capacity, and convening stakeholders. Flexible contributions to the Environment Fund and UNEP Planetary Funds fuel innovative, high-impact solutions. These solutions are needed more than ever: temperatures are rising, ecosystems are disappearing, and pollution remains a deadly threat. These are global problems that require global solutions. The world must pull together to build a fairer, more sustainable planet. UNEP will be there every step of the way.     UNEP 2024 Annual Report: https://lnkd.in/dmmgPZV7

The idea of submerging computer servers in a liquid coolant to cut data center energy consumption by 70% is a breakthrough in sustainable tech innovation. Traditional cooling systems consume significant energy, but with non-conductive liquid coolants, it's possible to safely dissipate heat while keeping electrical circuits dry and operational. This method optimizes thermal management, capturing all the generated heat and drastically reducing the need for conventional fans and chillers. Sandia National Laboratories approach could set a new standard for energy efficiency in data centers, making them greener and more cost-effective. Florian Palatini ++

Algorithmic transparency refers to the principle that the operations and decision-making processes of algorithms should be open and understandable to people who interact with or are impacted by them. It’s an aspect of accountability and fairness that seeks to mitigate the ‘black box’ nature of complex AI systems. For high-risk AI systems, strict transparency requirements will apply under the AI Act, such as adequately informing users when they interact with an AI system and making sure that its capabilities and limitations are clearly outlined. The AI Act will also require that users are aware of the AI's decision-making parameters. Companies must not only disclose how the algorithm works but also need to explain the rationale behind these decisions. This is particularly important for high-risk AI systems, where the consequences of error could be catastrophic. Transparency, in this context, evolves from being a mere buzzword to a structural necessity. The AI Act also focuses on transparency in emotion recognition and biometric categorisation, and deepfakes. For the former, the Act requires that people exposed to these AI systems must be informed, except in cases where the technology is used for criminal investigations. This exception raises ethical questions about balancing privacy with security. For the latter, deepfake technology must come with disclosure that the content isn't authentic, though exceptions exist for legal or artistic purposes. These carve-outs have provoked questions about the potential stifling of creative or journalistic endeavours. While the AI Act has taken the spotlight of AI regulation, the Digital Services Act’s provisions on recommender systems echo the AI Act's call for transparency. Recommender systems, a subset of AI technologies, also must outline their main parameters in "plain and intelligible language," echoing the AI Act's push for clear, comprehensible explanations. The DSA even mandates an explanation of why certain parameters are considered more important than others, extending the notion of transparency into the realm of accountability. Both acts show a commitment to user agency. The AI Act ensures that the user retains a degree of control when interacting with high-risk AI systems, including an ‘off switch’. Meanwhile, the DSA promotes user agency by compelling platforms to allow users to modify their preferences. The AI Act introduces obligatory risk assessments for high-risk applications, mirroring the DSA's requirements for platforms to conduct comprehensive risk assessments. Here, we witness two regulatory streams converging into a river of algorithmic accountability, encouraging a more nuanced, ethical approach to AI development and implementation. Laws on algorithmic transparency reflect the a paradigm shift in our approach to the ethical and social implications of AI. The importance of such legislation will only intensify as AI becomes increasingly interwoven into the fabric of our lives.

🌿 As software practitioners, how can we adopt green software practices? Here are the key steps: 1. Awareness: Start by becoming aware of the environmental impact of your software. Understand that your application's overall design and efficiency contribute to its energy consumption. 2. Understanding: Gain a deeper understanding of your code's impact using tools and frameworks. The Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) specification and the Impact Framework from our Green Software Foundation are open-source and provide valuable insights into your software's carbon footprint. Leverage these resources to measure and understand the energy consumption of your applications. 3. Opportunity to Apply: Once you are aware and understand your impact, look for opportunities to apply green software practices. There are two main approaches: -- Optimizing Existing Code/Infrastructure/Architecture: Start with small, impactful changes. For example, improve the efficiency of your current codebase and infrastructure. -- Strategic Replacement: When possible, replace parts of your code with more efficient alternatives. For example, A sidecar implementation in Kubernetes transitioned a portion of code from JavaScript to Rust, achieving a 75% reduction in CPU usage and a 95% reduction in memory usage. This shows how strategic replacements can lead to substantial energy savings. (Link to the use case in comments section) 4. Spread the Word: You have the power to make a difference. Share your knowledge and experiences with your peers. Encourage others to adopt green software practices and raise awareness about the importance of sustainability in software development. By taking these steps, we, as a community of software practitioners, can make a significant impact on reducing the environmental footprint of our software. Let’s inspire each other to adopt green software practices. 🌱💡 #Sustainability #GreenSoftware #EnergyEfficiency #TechInnovation #SCI #OpenSource

The charity sector’s best kept secret when it comes to digital support? 🤫 It’s not one thing - it’s a network. The Network of Non-Profit Digital Support - convened by CAST Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology and funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation - quietly brings together some of the most impactful digital initiatives in the UK. Whether you need 👇 - bite-sized training and webinars - help finding a digital partner - one-to-one consultations - or simply a friendly sounding board …this collective exists to make sure charities can access the right digital support, at the right time. Here’s what sits under the umbrella: Digital Candle 🕯️ Free one-to-one calls with digital experts to answer your charity’s toughest questions. Reuse Infrastructure 🔄 Connecting non-profits with affordable, repurposed tech and cloud solutions. Digital Trustees 🧑⚖️ Matching boards with digital professionals to bring vital skills into governance. Design Hops 🎨 Short, practical programmes to help charities solve challenges using design thinking. The Curve 📈 Free, hands-on live training sessions to build digital confidence and skills. Dovetail 🧩 A platform to help charities find the right digital agencies and freelancers. Digital Leads Network 🤝 Peer support and community for people leading digital inside charities. Agencies For Good 🌍 A network of mission-aligned agencies collaborating to support the sector. The Network is making it easier for non-profits to adopt the tools, approaches and mindsets they need to thrive. The best part: it’s all free. P.S. If you’re Scotland-based, don’t forget SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations)’s digital guides and support too - AI, cyber security and beyond. ❓ What's your favourite free third sector digital, data or design resource? Self-promotion completely welcome 👇