“We know that technology is not inherently good or bad; it's what we do with it that matters. And that's why we're making the ethical and humane use of technology a strategic focus at Salesforce.”

Marc Benioff, Chairman and Co-CEO, Salesforce

Learn how Salesforce is Building a Culture of Responsible Technology — and Why it Matters.

The ethical use of technology is the way forward.

We recognize the transformative power of the technologies we create and their role in being a force for good around the world. We have a broader responsibility to society, and aspire to create technology that not only drives the success of our customers, but also upholds the basic human rights of every individual.

Core to this effort is the establishment of the first-ever Office of Ethical and Humane Use of Technology, sitting within the Office of Equality. The office works across product, law, policy, and ethics to develop and implement a strategic framework for the ethical and humane use of technology across Salesforce.

Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s Chief Ethical and Humane Use

“The issues are complex, the answers are not clear, but it’s all about listening.”

Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer.

Our approach.

The charter of the Office of Ethical and Humane Use focuses on three pillars:

Understanding the direct impact of our products on the world

Creating an ethical internal culture and product design process

Advancing the field through multi-stakeholder dialogues

We approach these focus areas by...

Engaging Stakeholders

We believe that no one has all the answers, and we’re all on this path together. We will engage our stakeholders as we journey down this path together. We may not always agree, but we are committed to a transparent process guided by our core values and guiding principles.

Engaging Experts

While the industry’s focus on the ethical application of technology is new, its study is as old as technology itself. We will follow a multi-stakeholder engagement model to draw upon the expertise of recognized leaders in this field and established frameworks to guide us as we work to ensure the ethical development and use of our products.

Generating Insights

In addition to gathering input from experts and our stakeholders, we’ll leverage our own research expertise to uncover new insights in the ethical development and use of technology. Our goal is to leverage data-driven insights on emerging trends in the field to build a movement toward more ethical application of products in our industry.

In October 2018, the Salesforce Research team surveyed 2,400+ consumers in the US to further understand consumer sentiment around the opportunities for responsible business in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Here are a few key stats, with full report below:

read more our opportunity for ethical business and research report

To download this infographic, please click here.

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What does ethical leadership and business look like in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
Insights from over 2,400 consumers.

to download this report, please click here

Ethical Use Advisory Council

We are not alone — our entire industry is grappling with the human and societal impacts of modern technologies. Together, the issues we face are significant, and we know we can't tackle them alone. That is why we've convened some of the top experts in ethics, technology, and corporate trust to guide us on our journey.

The Advisory Council to the Office of Ethical and Humane Use of Technology is composed of a diverse group of frontline and executive employees — as well as academics, industry experts, and society leaders from Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and more.

AI Ethics and Values

At Salesforce, we explore the responsible creation and use of AI to bring awareness of key issues to internal employees, customers, and the public alike. Our mission is to support AI that respects human rights and helps all of society, not just some of it.

You can learn more about Salesforce's AI ethics here.

Our commitment.

“Our company values embody a long-standing respect for the fundamental protection of human rights, consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

read our commitment