Open Dialogue
‘There’s Not a Lot of Self-Reflection in Silicon Valley’: On Big Tech and Ethics
Evan Selinger in conversation with Mary Berk
This is Open Dialogue, an interview series from OneZero about technology and ethics.
I’m thrilled to talk with Mary Berk. Mary has a PhD in philosophy, a degree that includes a specialization in ethics, but spent her career working in Silicon Valley. Most recently, Mary was a product manager at Facebook and Instagram. Previously, Mary worked at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, eBay. Given Mary’s many years of experience and her disposition for critical thinking, she’s the perfect person to discuss whether Big Tech can care about ethics.
Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Evan: What got you interested in philosophy? I was drawn in right away during my first semester in college. My high school mostly offered the typical humanities courses, like English, Communications, and Social Studies. I almost couldn’t believe that a professional discipline exists that’s devoted to critically interrogating fundamental beliefs.
Mary: My fascination with philosophy started in high school. At the time, everyone told me I wasn’t really interested in it, that I was just curious about…
