Co-design and development of technology with indigenous communities requires respect and close partnership. Here, we reflect on our experiences working with a Māori (indigenous New Zealand) community as Pākehā (non-Māori). In particular, we consider the importance of protection as an underlying principle.
Category: Case Studies
BOOK REVIEW: How to Talk to a Science Denier
By Jacob Ossar on June 15th, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Case Studies, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The fact that science denial is deeply implicated in identity helps explain why science deniers are usually unmoved by contrary evidence that on a purely rational level should be extremely convincing.
Riding the New York Subway: The Invention of the Modern Passenger
By A. David Wunsch on March 6th, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Case Studies, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Stefan Höhne dives into a wealth of letters—correspondence sent to the New York City Transit Authority in the period 1955–1968.
Knowing the Unknowable: Soft Laws and Hard Decisions
By Jeremy Pitt on January 16th, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Case Studies, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
If it were possible to formulate laws involving vague predicates and adjudicate them, what would be the implications of such minimalist formulations for soft laws and even for “hard” laws? The possible implications are threefold: 1) does possibility imply desirability; 2) does possibility imply infallibility; and 3) does possibility imply accountability? The answer advanced here, to all three questions, is “no.”
When Outlandish Science Fiction Becomes Real
By cia romano on September 5th, 2021 in Blog Posts, Case Studies, Environment, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The nuclear anxiety of the Cold War now seems quaint. While speculative writers of the late 20th-early 21st centuries have largely relegated nukes to the past, the situation at San Onofre reminds us of our sins — of assuming the future would take care of the future. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission enabled this consensual hallucination. Did it take climate change into consideration?
Facing the Fragility of the Man-Made World
By cia romano on August 7th, 2021 in Articles, Blog Posts, Case Studies, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
When we see a built world, we tend to take its permanence and stability for granted. For those who have chosen coastal homes, that built world goes back at least 50 years, with few residents ever realizing that oceans, lakes, and rivers are living entities constantly in motion. The average person relies upon experts such as architects and civil engineers, and supposed guardrails such as state building codes and homeowner associations, to assess safety when purchasing property. But the 21st-century assumption that the built world is stable is a risky bet. Especially in “business-friendly” states.
Being Human in a Global Village – IEEE 2020 Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century
By terribookman on May 22nd, 2021 in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Case Studies, Conferences, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
https://21stcenturywiener.org/ 22-25 July 2021, Chennai, INDIA N R Narayana Murthy to present Opening Speech on 22 July 2021. Infosys co-founder… Read More
Secrets and Lies
By Karl Stephan on October 17th, 2019 in Book Reviews, Case Studies, Ethics, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Holmes’s idea of inventing a cheap, small, fast, reliable blood-testing system to creatively destroy most of the world’s existing infrastructure for blood tests ran into big problems early on. But with her chutzpah, persuasiveness, and eventually with the help of outright obfuscations and lies, Holmes kept Theranos going until a Wall Street Journal investigative reporter named John Carreyrou responded to a lead by a health-care blogger that something fishy was going on.
Philip Koopman Receives IEEE Carl Barus Award
By terribookman on November 29th, 2018 in Case Studies, Ethics, News and Notes, Social Implications of Technology
Dr. Philip Koopman of Carnegie Mellon University received the IEEE SSIT Carl Barus Award for Outstanding Service in the Public Interest on November 13, 2018, in Washington, DC.
Chris Wylie’s Frankenstein
By Jim Isaak on March 23rd, 2018 in Articles, Case Studies, Ethics, Societal Impact
“Why would a Russian oil company want to target information on American voters?” Chris asks in the article. Cambridge Analytica claims to have 4000-5000 data points on 230,000,000 U.S. adults.
Toyota: Not So Fast, Guys
By ieeessit on June 29th, 2017 in Case Studies, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Magazine Articles
The automotive industry has furnished the field of engineering ethics with more than one “paradigm” case that generations of budding… Read More
The Boundaries of Ethics
By Jim Isaak on April 26th, 2017 in Articles, Case Studies, Ethics
The U.S. government recently announced sanctions targeting Syrian scientists (and no doubt engineers; newspapers are not clear on the differences)…. Read More
U.S. States Use Big Data to Catch Big Thieves
By Jim Isaak on December 3rd, 2014 in Articles, Case Studies, Societal Impact
Various states in the U.S. are using big data tools, such as the Lexus-Nexus database, to identify people who are… Read More
Technology – Society – Issue / Solution – du jour – Feb. 18, 2014
By Luis Kun on June 9th, 2014 in Case Studies, Privacy & Security
The intention of this blog-segment is to bring up a current problem caused by technology and discuss not only its… Read More