Katy Cook is an internationally recognized expert on the intersection of technology, psychology, and ethics.
Katy is the author of The Psychology of Silicon Valley: Ethical Threats and Emotional Unintelligence in the Tech Industry, founder of the nonprofit Centre for Technology Awareness, and serves as a consultant and speaker on topics related to ethics and technology.
Katy holds a Ph.D. in Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology from University College London, and Masters degrees in English and Psychology.
The Psychology of Silicon Valley: Ethical Threats and Emotional Unintelligence in the Tech Industry
In an era where the reach and influence of a single industry has the potential to define the future of our world, it has become apparent just how little we know about the organizations driving these changes.
The Psychology of Silicon Valley offers a revealing look inside the world’s most influential industry and how the beliefs, culture, motivations, and behaviors of Big Tech are harming society. The book explores how bad values and a lack of emotional intelligence in the industry will have lasting consequences on everything from social inequality to the future of work to our collective mental health.
Drawing on hundreds of interviews and over six years of research, Dr. Cook expertly walks readers through the psychological landscape of Silicon Valley, including its leadership, ethical, and cultural problems, and artfully explains why we cannot afford to ignore the psychology and ethics that are behind our technology any longer.
Katy Cook Consulting:
Ethical, Sustainable Success
Dr. Cook’s consulting work is dedicated to helping businesses and teams navigate the future, improve organizational health, and develop ethical and effective business strategies that lead to sustainable success.
Leveraging deep knowledge across multiple disciplines and over 10 years of consulting experience, Katy helps her clients:
- Identify key ethical leverage points specific to their organizations
- Discover and implement solutions that maximize both financial success and positive social impact
- Proactively address emerging ethical demands
- Develop both business and industry specific corporate responsibility strategies
Katy also works with universities and schools to develop curriculum and build departments focused on ethics, technology, and the humanities.
Speaking:
Ethics, Social Impacts, and the Future of Technology
Dr. Cook’s talks focus on the ethics, social impacts, and the future of technology. Talks are customized to the interests and needs of each unique audience, but common topics include:
- The role ethics plays in technology and society
- How technology will influence the future of work and education (and how to best prepare)
- How technology affects social cohesion and progress
- What we can do to proactively mitigate the risks we face moving forward
- How technology affects our relationships, cognition, wellbeing, and happiness
Katy speaks to companies, academic institutions, and private organizations.
From the blog
The Psychology of Silicon Valley is Now Available!
I am so pleased to be able to announce that my first book, The Psychology of Silicon Valley: Ethical Threats and Emotional Unintelligence in the Tech Industry, hits stores...
Katy Cook on ABC’s Future Tense Podcast
This past Sunday, I was thrilled to be a guest on ABC’s Future Tense podcast, nerding out on all things tech, psychology, and ethics. Future Tense’s brilliant host, Antony Funnell, and I discussed...
The Deepfake Detection Challenge: Tech Giants Set Out to Help Solve a Big Problem
Facebook, Microsoft and the Partnership on AI among organizations supporting the Deepfake Detection Challenge this December...
Self-Preservation and Self-Interest in Big Tech’s Most Recent Lobbying Effort
The lobbying group that represents big tech is targeting users in California’s capitol ahead of new consumer privacy bill...