HUMAN-CENTERED PROGRESS
Dovetail Labs is a mission-driven, independent research & consulting firm founded by academic anthropologists dedicated to shaping technology for the human good.
We apply cutting-edge social science insights to help policy makers, human rights activists, foundations, technology companies, and other stakeholders make technology ethical, fair, accountable, transparent, and inclusive.
We offer advising, research, and impact assessment for every stage of technology design, development, implementation, and monitoring.
UNDERSTAND THE WORLD
TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Technology is changing the way we live. In order to build the future we want, we must understand these changes. Technology can exacerbate social problems like bias and discrimination but it can also bring about a more just, equitable, and inclusive world. At Dovetail Labs, we believe that to change the world, you first have to understand the world. The social sciences bring a crucial perspective to comprehend and assess the social impacts of technologies and bend these technologies toward the positive.
“The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences”
ETHNOGRAPHY FOR
ETHICAL TECHNOLOGY
Ethnography entails detailed, on-the-ground study of social systems. Our expert advisors and researchers draw on a critical social science toolkit of qualitative and quantitative methods.
By investigating contexts, processes, and webs of meaning, we generate real-world insights about how technology affects people’s everyday lives and impacts society at large. Ethics cannot be merely a philosophical exercise. We must understand how technology impacts people’s lives.
Our Latest Thinking
“Anthropology is philosophy with the people in.”