Reference CHANCEN eG

Digital ethics of IT systems

More about the project

Fairness of opportunity starts with the source code

People’s lives are increasingly dominated by digital processes. Algorithms and artificial intelligence today evaluate claims in insurance companies or make the pre-selection of applicants in the personnel search process. But do such systems work without prejudice? Do they make a selection based on morally justifiable criteria? Can people trust applications and IT systems that make increasingly autonomous decisions? For CHANCEN eG, the question of ethics and moral action is at the heart of its mission. Finally, the young company takes care of the opportunity-based and solidaric financing of education. Telekom MMS was asked for help to investigate the solutions used in terms of digital ethics.

Reference at a Glance

Task

Review of the technical solutions used by CHANCEN eG with regard to digital ethics

Solution

Application of the assessment tool for “Corporate Digital Responsibility” (CDR)

achievement

Result

Overview and recommendations for action on compliance, corporate responsibility & integrity, data ethics and security

Icon / Quote
The comprehensive assessment of Telekom MMS has helped us a lot. Now we know where we stand and have concrete starting points for how we can also reflect and further expand our social responsibility in our IT. Kyra Gawlista, Student & Alumni Services – Key Account Management Bootcamps

Benefit for our Customer

  • More transparency in the handling of personal information in IT systems

  • Higher level of safety and more fail-safety

  • Digital ethics generates greater trust in the company

Requirements

Achieving social responsibility also in IT

The start-up CHANCEN eG already bears the desire and aim of achieving equal opportunities among students in its name. Social responsibility is important to the company. Public discussions and reports about discrimination and the so-called bias problem in the use of AI systems gave the company the impetus to deal with the digital ethics of its own software and processes. After all, people are at the centre of CHANCEN eG. Since a start-up always has a lot to do, but money and human resources are scarce, issues such as data protection or information security are often difficult to implement. CHANCEN eG decided to commission Telekom MMS with the CDR assessment in order to obtain a status where the company stands in the areas of compliance, corporate responsibility & integrity, data ethics and security.

Solution

CDR assessment is the compass to more digital ethics

During the five-day assessment, Telekom MMS deployed its new solution CDR-Assessment. The team first got to know the infrastructure and core processes of the company. This actual survey formed the basis for the further planning of the assessment. During the assessment, the solutions used by CHANCEN eG were examined and evaluated from the point of view of digital ethics. This includes the handling and protection of personal information. It was also investigated whether and at which point systems are used to make or prepare decisions automatically.

The results of the individual studies led to a comprehensive report that not only shows the digital maturity of the company, but also serves as a starting point for further projects and measures to achieve digital ethics with concrete recommendations for improvement.

Benefit

Digitale Ethik becomes USP

People’s desire to buy ethically acceptable products or to use services only from companies that are committed to ethical principles is an obvious trend. In terms of digitization, for example, this means that people tend to trust a company that treats its data transparently and responsibly. Digital ethics thus becomes a differentiation advantage.

For CHANCEN eG, the results report of the CDR assessment of Telekom MMS describes the way forward. However, there are also other benefits to be derived from the inventory analysis carried out: there are concrete recommendations, such as reliability and performance, or information security and data protection can be increased.

At the same time, future security is strengthened, as the CDR assessment points the way to act in compliance with future legal changes in areas such as data protection, information security and artificial intelligence.

About CHANCEN eG

CHANCEN eG is a social enterprise that sees itself as a solidarity community for the financing of education. The aim is to reduce financial barriers to education and to enable education regardless of financial background. The purpose of the enterprise, which is organised as a cooperative, is to achieve, together with its community, the best possible promotion of the social and economic interests of its members. CHANCEN eG relies on the reverse generation contract. Graduates subsequently pay back their funding according to their income, in order to enable the next generation of students to study.

Do you have any questions?

Dr. Cornelia Mossal

Corporate Communication