The Hidden Cost of Digital Innovation.

Technology has evolved to be an integral component of the way organisations run, communicate and make decisions. As digital marketer, digital transformation has provided competitive edge to increase efficiency, think ahead and understand my customers better and get a better outcome for my projects. Ethics in Digital Disruption and Leadership in Digital Transformation lessons were particularly thought-provoking on whether technology is always appropriate with respect to its capability.

Ethical lag was a concept that stood out, which is basically when technological development advances rapidly than the ethical implications. This led me to re-examine an assumption; if a technology exists and has a commercial use, then it is an appropriate application of the technology.

“There’s a distinction between the information that companies can gather and the information that they should use.”

Big data and AI in consumer surveillance resonated with me in my professional experience and work. Digital platforms enable businesses to gain insights into audience behaviour and enable them to connect with their audience more personally. These features have the potential to enhance customer experiences, but also pose concerns related to privacy, informed consent and the appropriate use of personal information.

I learnt that there's a distinction between the information that companies can gather and the information that they should use. It is important that professionals think about whether their customer is aware of how their data is being used and whether fair decisions are made.

This learning has expanded my knowledge of the professional responsibilities. I used to believe that effective use of digital tools can improve organisational performance, but I have now realised that it's critical to consider the repercussions at the same time.

Therefore, I aim to be more intentional with privacy, transparency and fairness in assessing marketing technologies and data-driven strategies. I also learnt that staying updated on ethical issues around new technologies and not presuming compliance is necessarily a responsible practice. Thus, the real cost of digital innovation can’t be solely gauged by organisational performance and efficiency itself as the consequences of trust, ethical responsibility and privacy concerns should be considered.