The man behind the Apple Watch and iPhone believes Apple and other technology companies have a “moral responsibility” to protect their customers.

Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, told the FT that the possible negative impact of new technology on society gives him many a sleepless night.

“If you’re creating something new, it is inevitable there will be consequences that were not foreseen,” he said. “Some that will be great, and then there are those that aren’t as positive.”

Consequences

There is a responsibility to try and predict as many of the consequences as possible, he asserted, adding: “I think you have a moral responsibility to try to understand, try to mitigate those that you didn’t predict.

“I think it’s part of the culture at Apple to believe that there is a responsibility that doesn’t end when you ship a product. It keeps me awake.”

Ive noted that the nature of innovation is that it is impossible to predict every consequence.

He said: “I think it is good to be connected but I think the real question is what you do with that connection.

‘We’ve been doing a lot of work in terms of not only understanding how long you use a device, but how you’re using it,’ Ive said.

Ive said that the key to beating addiction is human connection.

In September, Apple unveiled a feature called Screen Time, launched as part of the free iOS 12 software update for iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch.

Screen Time helps users to assess how much time they are spending on apps and websites. Through this method, you can make more informed decisions about how you use your devices and set limits if you’d like to. Screen Time can also allow parents to manage their children’s device.