The Ethical Navigator

Technology is incredible.  It connects us to our loved ones on the other side of the world, it streamlines businesses, accounting, travel and revolutionised learning.  It’s a modern miracle.

BUT, clever connectivity comes at a cost, and my mission is to be the ethical navigator for this amazing new world.

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Katja Forbes, IQPC's Customer Show Asia 2023

Data: If you can't respect it, don't collect it.

Business data is your biggest asset, but after you’ve asked people to click and you’ve collected, is that data being misused, and how is your technology, unchecked, perpetuating human bias?

Speculative Design for an Enhanced Humanity

As we start embedding technology into our bodies, or even altering the source code of life, we will be able to go beyond our natural capabilities and boundaries.

Key speaking topics

In the diverse space that is tech, there are so many areas we can discuss. I explore the ever changing environment and challenge current thinking.

Technology

  • Beyond Binary: Balancing Ethics Privacy and Progress in the Era of CX, Big Data and Tech
  • From Surveillance Capitalism to Digital Empowerment: Redefining the Relationship Between Users and Technology
  • The Fine Line: Balancing Innovation and Privacy in Emerging Technologies
  • Designing for Trust: Human-Centred Approaches to Data Privacy and Security

Design, UX and CX

  • Designing for Trust: Ethical Considerations in UX and CX
  • Data-Driven Design: Leveraging User Insights to Create Personalised Experiences
  • Designing for the Unseen: Exploring the Role of Emotions in User and Customer Experience
  • The Art of Storyscaping: Crafting Immersive Narratives in User and Customer Experience

Career

  • Humanising the Workplace: Designing a Culture of Empathy and Inclusion
  • Redefining Success: Challenging Traditional Career Narratives in the Digital Age
  • Beyond the Ping Pong Table: Cultivating a Culture of Innovation and Collaboration
  • Building Digital Resilience: Thriving in the Era of Technological Disruption

Speculative Futures

  • Transhumanism and the Cyborg Revolution: Redefining Humanity in a Post-Human Era
  • The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: Navigating the Ethical Quagmire in a Dystopian World
  • You’re not the boss of me: Rethinking Human-Robot Interactions in an Age of AI Autonomy
  • The Future of Identity: Biometrics, AI, and the Evolution of Personal Identity

”We have engaged Katja on numerous occasions for both keynote presentations at conferences (up to 250 people) and expert speaker engagements at CEO group meetings (up to 20 people). We have been energised by her unique perspective on design and technology and she always scores highly with members. Katja seamlessly blends her extensive knowledge of the industry with her passion for innovation to deliver a truly inspiring and thought-provoking talk.

I highly recommend Katja as a keynote speaker for anyone looking to bring a fresh and cutting-edge perspective to their event.

Neil RapleyDirector - NSW | The CEO Institute

”We've had the pleasure of hosting Katja Forbes as a keynote speaker three times.

The first two were in-person Digitalks events in Sydney and Melbourne, presenting to over 230 of our customers on 'Design Thinking and Omni-channel: The Future of Customer Experience'.

The third occasion was via a Zoom webinar with over 500 attendees, right in the midst of the pandemic where a lot of our clients were in pain. Her topic was: Business As [Un]usual: Mindsets & frameworks to steer your business through the pandemic & beyond.

The feedback from all her presentations was excellent. Katja's knowledge is very deep, and she has a knack of demystifying complex information into easily digestible snippets, whilst backing up her content with great examples. Her straight-forward communication style and great sense of humour endeared her to the audience who were very open in praising her presentation style.

I wouldn't hesitate to invite Kaja back for more keynotes. Highly recommend!

Carolyn HyamsMarketing Director, Australia, Aquent

Why should I book Katja?

I ask difficult questions of the biggest companies and smallest players, so they think about what they’re doing with all our data, how they’re keeping it private and using it for societal benefit, not detriment.