The Valuation of Data

Data affects every aspect of people’s lives, from the jobs they do to the products and services they use. Society cannot function without it. Yet valuing data is an ongoing topic of debate and discussion. The International Association for Research in Income and Wealth and CIGI hosted a conference on the valuation of data in November 2023. Following a call for papers, researchers and speakers gathered from around the world to present their findings on the opportunities and challenges presented by the valuation of data and its role in the global economy.

In this conference report, Robert Fay and Keldon Bester summarize the main points that were raised in the 19 papers presented and the discussions that followed.

“Canada’s recent implementation of the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems has been celebrated by some and pilloried by others,” writes Matthew da Mota. But one thing about it is clear: “To prevent unethical practices in artificial intelligence (AI) development and use, voluntary codes of practice…must have built-in accountability, a mechanism to investigate complaints and a means of punishing violators. The draft code has none of these.”

Further, although Canada’s code is temporary — intended as a stopgap — “it’s not at all unimportant: It stands to be the main governing document on AI at a key moment of transition into the technology’s widespread use,” and a model likely to be implemented in other contexts.

As part of CIGI’s project Legitimate Influence or Unlawful Manipulation?, experts in internet governance and human rights have written a series of policy briefs to provide insight into the far-reaching impacts evolving technologies present to our freedom of thought, as well as ways to counter them.

Below are the latest releases; explore the series here.

Brain development during adolescence leaves young people particularly susceptible to social pressure, peer opinion and social comparison, and recent high-profile media investigations have raised concerns over social media’s impact on teen depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Looking at these impacts through the lens of freedom of thought, Samantha Bradshaw and Tracy Vaillancourt recommend that policy solutions should focus not on outright technological bans but instead on measures to restrict exploitive platform design features and on investment in media literacy education to empower teens, parents and teachers to use social media in ways that foster health and well-being.

As the world’s major powers compete in the digital economy, technology platforms and the data they expropriate from their users have become critical to geopolitical advantage. Issues surrounding privacy, autonomy and inner freedoms are now foregrounded by data as a commodity. Enforcing human rights across a contested multipolar system will prove especially difficult.

Daniel Araya argues that whether the world’s governments collaborate in the pursuit of democratic renewal or simply yield to systems of surveillance and control will largely depend on the capacities of citizens to hold their governments accountable. Araya offers recommendations for shaping regulatory systems across a changing multipolar landscape.

“Each of the four competencies of digital media literacy — the ability to access, use, understand and engage with media of all kinds — is essential to freedom of thought.… Whether our primary concern is disinformation, hate speech and harassment on digital platforms, or the laws aimed at controlling these, a strong commitment to digital media literacy is necessary to ensure freedom of thought and expression.”

In this opinion, related to their forthcoming policy brief in this series, Kara Brisson-Boivin and Matthew Johnson say it’s not enough to teach these skills only to young people; further, our understanding of digital media literacy itself must be updated to recognize that we are no longer merely consumers but users of media — digital citizens.

Virtual reality technologies, the dark patterns of website design nudging and social media recommender systems are just a few of the ways technology is being used to hack our minds.

In this op-ed first published in The Hill Times and connected to her recent policy brief in this series, Emily Laidlaw writes that although Canada has laws that apply to some parts of this problem, they skirt the edges of the issue: “The core mischief is interference with our freedom to think, which is a Charter right. The hurdle is that it requires legal gymnastics for the right to have any practical effect. Government action is needed to ensure that the legal right to protection of our inner minds is meaningful.”

In partnership with universities, governments and the private sector, CIGI’s Digital Policy Hub offers a highly collaborative and transdisciplinary space for undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral and visiting fellows to share and develop their research on the rapid evolution and governance of transformative technologies.

Calling researchers! Applications are open for the 2024–2025 academic year cohort; the deadline to apply is March 1. Register for the information session on February 15 or visit our website for details.