Society for Social Implications of Technology Standards Committee
Expert committee developing ethical and sustainable global technical standards to ensure ethical and responsible use of emerging technologies and data

The Intelligent and Autonomous Systems we are developing today promise breathtaking advances in human capability and productivity. However, they also risk the possibility of out-of-control, accelerated harms, unintended consequences, and the potential for mischief and bad actors.

New standards will need to account for all of these circumstances, whether in the form of norms, engineering standards, industry rules, regulations, or legislation.

Global standards such as those developed by the IEEE Standards Association are available for use worldwide and provide a neutral platform that unites participative and inclusive communities for standards development and technological innovation that is independent of any government oversight, and thus political flavour.

The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) Standards Committee is a committee of experts who develop ethical and sustainable global technical standards to ensure ethical and responsible use of emerging technologies and data, considering the likely impact to the individual, to society and to the environment by promoting the benefits to humanity and minimizing the risks.

IEEE SSIT Standards Committee focuses on five major areas for developing technical standards:

  • Sustainable Development & Humanitarian Technology
  • Ethics, Human Values and Technology
  • Technology Benefits for All
  • Future Societal Impact of Technology Advances
  • Protecting the Planet & Sustainable Technology

Currently, we have 15 diverse projects under development encompassing practical principles and considerations for use, procurement, design and operation of emerging technology, for information trustworthiness, personal privacy, data provenance, protection of the individual and society through affective computing, Extended Reality (XR), Neurotechnology and the Metaverse.

These standards incorporate global policies and principles of Human Rights, including Indigenous People’s rights, Environmental Concerns, and societal wellbeing.

Get involved in our activities. Propose a topic that needs a standard. Help us to ensure that emerging technologies are created and advanced for the benefit of humanity.

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