#42 - Ethics, Trust, and Regulation in Decentralized Public Infrastructure

The Aeolian Discourse Round Table on January 6, 2025 focused on Ethics, Trust, and Regulation in Decentralized Public Infrastructure, particularly around AI, IoT, and decentralization technologies. The discussion explored how to ensure these technologies are transparent, fair, and secure as they become increasingly embedded in daily life.

Here are the key highlights:

Growing gap between tech advancement and policy-making

[00:09:08] - [00:10:45] Lisa Talia Moretti discusses how quickly technology is moving and the challenges policymakers face in understanding use cases and emerging risks.

Business norms and collective accountability

[00:10:45] - [00:11:00] Lisa Talia Moretti suggests strengthening business norms and getting the business community working together to develop and uphold standards.

Public vs Private sector obligations

[00:43:30] - [00:44:34] John Wunderlich highlights the key difference between private sector's ability to "fire clients" vs government's obligation to serve 100% of population.

Power concentration among tech providers

[00:25:28] - [00:27:00] Ansgar Koene discusses the problems with small number of providers and their power in negotiations.

Accessibility and inclusion considerations

00:41:18] - [00:43:00] Lisa Talia Moretti details how certain groups (disabled, trans community, older populations) are often excluded from testing and development considerations.

Additional key moment:

[00:47:00] - [00:48:00] Discussion of digital identity wallets and challenges with guardianship implementation, particularly around capacity and power of attorney.