Dr. Monica Huerta (Ecuador Section) was awarded the IEEE Region 9 Eminent Engineer Award for 2024 for R9.
Category: Health & Medical
The Role of Public Policy in the Adoption of Prosthetic Limbs in the United States
By Carolena Stephanie Larson on December 5th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
We urge that there be a federal mandate to include bionics in federal insurance programs and insurance companies regulated by Obamacare. As prostheses advance in sensory capabilities, insurance companies need to recognize prosthetic limbs as a part of the body susceptible to personal injury, not just as equipment, since they have haptic capabilities (i.e., the sense of touch) and can feel distress.
Society’s Dilemma in Our Day in Age: Technology and Academics Versus Social Development
By Luis Kun on October 16th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, President's Message, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
If we had a system in the United States where 50% of the time was dedicated to a single academic program for everyone, and the other 50% to social development, society would reap the benefits.
IEEE ISTAS 2023 Conference in Swansea, Wales, Hosts First of Two Scheduled Climate Change Panels
By terribookman on September 16th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Conferences, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Some topics addressed on the September 13 panel included climate change challenges related to health and healthcare, contributions of computing to the climate change problem in terms of energy use, along with the potential of computing to contribute to solutions to the crisis, agriculture and food security issues related to climate change, systems design, finding solutions and improving communication across IEEE societies, carbon removal, and economic and social aspects of the crisis including forced migration, water supplies, and the responsibilities of developed nations to developing nations in climate change mitigation.
On Day 2 of ISTAS 2023, Second Climate Change Panel: “Public Safety Technologies and Climate Change”
By terribookman on September 15th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Conferences, Environment, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS 23) continued into its second day of regular programming on Thursday September 14, and included the presentation of a second panel related to climate change, this one focused on “Public Safety Technologies and Climate Change.”
Ensuring Food Security Through Meal Optimization
By Liselotte Schafer Elinder on September 4th, 2023 in Articles, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
It is fully possible to design diets that are nutritionally adequate, with 65% lower greenhouse gas emissions, and which do not cost more than the baseline diet.
The Role of Early Social Development in Networking and “Serendipity”
By Luis Kun on July 21st, 2023 in Articles, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, President's Message, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
It was a wonderful experience for me to live all of these events and realize later how everything is really connected. Where will new generations of kids get their “social skills” developed, considering that most of their social relations and interactions happen virtually through their phones or computers while avoiding in-person interactions?
BOOK REVIEW: Atomic Doctors: Conscience and Complicity at the Dawn of the Nuclear Age
By Rachelle Linner on May 1st, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Dr. Nolan and his colleagues were responsible for developing standards to protect against radiation exposure in the laboratory and during the Trinity Test in July 1945. The physicians were continually frustrated by their inability to convince the military about the dangers of radiation but “there is considerable evidence to suggest that the doctors were ever mindful of potential legal consequences and careful to take precautions to protect themselves and the military from future litigation.”
Toxic Technology
By Jeremy Pitt on March 16th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Communication Technology, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Technology has always been about more than simply a route to increased productivity and economic growth; technology also provides the opportunity to enhance, enrich, and empower—basically, to improve shared qualitative values or people’s quality of life (however that is measured). On the flip side, technology also provides the opportunity to develop and project organizational control, which itself can be weaponized to quantitatively determine human value as an asset to that organization, or to reinforce asymmetric power relationships.
ISTAS 2022 – Nov 10-12, 2022
By terribookman on October 5th, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Call for Papers, Conferences, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Privacy & Security, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT 50th Anniversary, SSIT Announcements, Standards, Student Activities
“Digital and Societal Transformations” – Conference website here: https://www.istas22.org/
Taking Care With Caregiving Robots
By Todd Pittinsky on September 23rd, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
If caregiving is the very essence of being human, why would we consider turning it over to robots? Technology—and artificial intelligence (AI, in particular—have created a world in which automation is prioritized and digital is seen as an improvement on analog—more accurate, more portable, and more controllable. Caregiving is as analog as it gets and it is a field with a serious labor shortage. That makes it ripe for automation—and in fact, the robot caregivers are already here.
Social Robots: The Friend of the Future or Mechanical Mistake?
By Jordan Miller on September 10th, 2022 in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Privacy & Security, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Social robotics is poised to impact society by addressing isolation and providing companionship by augmenting human interaction when none is available.
Co-Designing Location-Based Services for Individuals Living With Dementia
By Roba Abbas on August 30th, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Privacy & Security, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Worldwide, there are 55 million individuals living with dementia and it is projected that by 2050, this number will increase to 139 million. Technological devices and solutions that can benefit the dementia community also carry ethical implications such as privacy and issues of consent. AI-driven LBS solutions may exacerbate the marginalization of individuals living with dementia.
Professional Responsibility: Politics, Culture, and Religion versus Science and Technology [Government Affairs]
By Luis Kun on August 29th, 2022 in Articles, Blog Posts, Ethics, Health & Medical, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Governmental Affairs: Article by Luis Kun in May-June 2008 issue of EMB Magazine on Science, Technology, and Censorship.
Modern Indentured Servitude in the Gig Economy
By Katina Michael on July 31st, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
In the first six months of 2018, eight New York City yellow cab drivers, impacted by big tech disruption on the taxi industry, took their own lives. “I am not a Slave and I refuse to be one,” wrote one in his suicide note.
IEEE ISTAS 2021 – Life Science and its Implications for Society
By Miriam Cunningham on June 15th, 2022 in Conferences, Health & Medical, Social Implications of Technology, Videos
The Special Session “Life Science and its Implications for Society” took place during IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS) 2021 on… Read More
Next Steps for Social Robotics in an Aging World
By Jordan Miller on November 11th, 2021 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Leading Edge, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The technologies being investigated may hold a promising future for the elderly population, allowing people to continue to live inside their homes while aging.
Not Another Panic Button: Meaningful Inclusion in Technology Development
By terribookman on November 7th, 2021 in Articles, Communication Technology, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Leading Edge, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Hackathons and other well-intentioned efforts to solve social problems using technology must also include the meaningful participation of affected individuals… Read More
Sun Exposure and Physical Activity: The Valuable Role of UV Wearables
By Jennifer Vanos on October 20th, 2021 in Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Leading Edge, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology
The wearable industry is responding to the needs of researchers and consumers with improved UV-wearable technologies.
Call for Papers — IEEE TSM Special Issue on “After Covid-19: Crises, Ethics, and Socio-Technical Change”
By Katina Michael on October 5th, 2021 in Call for Papers, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Privacy & Security, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, Transactions
As the COVID-19 pandemic shows, crises can catalyze socio-technical changes at a speed and scale otherwise thought impossible. Crises expose the fragility and resilience of our sociotechnical systems – from healthcare to financial markets, internet connectivity, and local communities.