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
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
In recent decades, we’ve heard a lot about how the workplace is changing. It’s becoming younger, of course, and as our population demographics change to reflect a more diverse society...
Katy Cook Guest Essay in Exponential View
There are few people I admire in my line of work as much as Azeem Azhar. I remember the first time I heard Azeem speak at a London Futurists event at Birkberk...
Kirkus Reviews The Psychology of Silicon Valley
I was so happy to receive Kirkus’ review of The Psychology of Silicon Valley this week. I don’t know what exactly I imagined the review would say, but in my wildest dreams I would never...
Katy Cook on the Singularity.FM Podcast
Last week I was a guest on the Singularity.FM podcast with the lovely Nikola Danaylov. Nikola focuses on exponential technology, accelerating change, artificial intelligence...