These modernists aim to cultivate in readers the capacity to “think cybernetically”—that is, to develop strategies for responding in creative and generative ways to the 20th century’s complex sociocultural (and socio-technical) environment.
Category: Commentary
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.
Diversity Initiatives for Women in IT: Friends or Enemies?
By Andreea Molnar on December 1st, 2023 in Articles, Commentary, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
There have been many arguments made for why increasing diversity and improving the representation of women in this field is important such as workers shortage, estimated increase in countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by including more women in this sector, creating software that better represents the needs of women overall—potentially addressing some of the existing biases in algorithms, and bringing about a general improvement in society.
Value Change and Technological Design
By I.R. Vandepoel on November 20th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Design for values is an umbrella term for approaches that pay systematic attention to social and moral values throughout the entire design process.
Respecting and Protecting Cultural Values in an Indigenous Virtual Reality Project
By Steven Mills on September 27th, 2023 in Articles, Case Studies, Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology
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.
Counteracting the Global Labor Shortage Risk Through Human–AI Collaboration in Digital Recruiting
By Olena Linnyk on September 25th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Amid a global labor force crisis, we cannot turn a blind eye to technological solutions. However, we must approach them with caution and prudence to avoid exacerbating existing biases.
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.
Reimagining Digital Public Spaces and Artificial Intelligence for Deep Cooperation
By Peter Lewis on August 20th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
What role does and can AI play in us being able to enjoy security in our places and spaces? Perhaps we could design technology-enabled spaces for the purpose of strengthening the community and empowering community action.
Humanistic Engineering: Engineering for the People
By Matthew L. Bolton on January 26th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
While it is true that technology is addressing problems and making elements of some people’s lives easier, there are aggregate measures that suggest a troubling trajectory.
PeaceTech
By Paul Heidebrecht on December 11th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
PeaceTech is “the movement to use technology to end violent conflict and extremism.”
A Serious Role-Playing Game as a Pedagogical Innovation to Strengthen Flood Resilience
By Evalyna Bogdan on December 10th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Environment, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Scholars critique physical infrastructure approaches as ineffective because flooding routinely exceeds defense structures and disaster assistance and removes the incentive for property owners to reduce their risk. As an educational and engagement tool, the flood resilience challenge (FRC) game aims to build the capacity of stakeholders to improve flood resilience and enhance flood risk governance, including collective decision-making.
The Everyday Ethics of Corporate Social Responsibility
By Jessica Smith on November 21st, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact
People around the world are increasingly holding corporations accountable for their practices and seeking ways to rectify their unequal distribution of the risks and benefits among differently positioned populations.
Digital Design With Children in Mind
By Katina Michael on November 14th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Organizations are gaining awareness that digital products and services targeted at the children’s market segment need to go beyond adopting the “mindset” of a child. Rather, it is necessary to actually invite children to participate in the design process.
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.
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.
Human Flourishing, Servitude, and Why They Are Incompatible
By Josiah Ober on July 17th, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Having a philosophical road map to what is required, might help those with skills to design intelligent machines that will enable and indeed promote human flourishing.
Growing a Culture of Technological Stewardship
By Jason Lajoie on January 15th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The negative effects of technological innovations can be foreseen, and more importantly, mitigated through more intentional and skillful engineering. Systematic efforts to address these impacts remain peripheral to the engineering profession. The Canada-based Engineering Change Laboratory has identified a set of behaviors that take a value sensitive approach to the practice and culture of engineering.
Autonomous Vehicles in Rural Communities: Is It Feasible?
By Diandra Prioleau on December 2nd, 2021 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Environment, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Although much research has been devoted to the effects of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on urban areas, little work has been dedicated to the potential impacts of AVs in rural areas, especially related to feasibility and accessibility [1]. How will automated vehicles impact rural communities?