Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2022

A major focus of Computer Weekly's technology and ethics coverage in 2022 was on working conditions throughout the tech sector, from the issue of forced labour and slavery throughout technology supply chains, to UK Amazon workers staging spontaneous "wildcat" strikes in response to derisory pay rises and warehouse conditions. Other stories in this vein included coverage of accusations that "soft union-busting" tactics were used by app-based food delivery firm Deliveroo to scupper its workers' grassroots organising efforts, and the ongoing court case against five major tech firms for their alleged role in the maiming and deaths of people extracting raw materials in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Artificial intelligence (AI) also featured heavily in Computer Weekly's technology and ethics coverage in 2022, with stories published on the tech sector's lacklustre commitment to "ethical" AI, as well as on the pitfalls and challenges of auditing AI-powered algorithms. Police technology was another major focus of 2022, as policing bodies continue to push ahead with new tech deployments such as live facial recognition (LFR) despite serious concerns about its effectiveness, proportionality and efficacy. Other stories focused on how technology is developed and deployed, and the underlying power dynamics at play.