At the Recent international negotiations on climate change in Dubai in 2023, the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to play a critical role in addressing climate challenges was recognized through the initiative “AI for Climate Action (#AI4ClimateAction).”
Category: Magazine Articles
Introducing the Editorial Board—Part I
By Ketra Schmitt on April 29th, 2024 in Articles, Magazine Articles, News and Notes, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Publications are only as strong as the people who make them work. As part of this new chapter in IEEE Technology and Society Magazine (TSM), this is the first in a series of pieces to introduce the new associate editors who represent a powerhouse of knowledge on the social implications of technology.
A Social Technical Journey to SSIT
By Ketra Schmitt on April 19th, 2024 in Articles, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine is a rare place where social and technological concerns come together in a way that respects both the technological details as well as the critical, social areas that influence technological invention and adoption.
Connecting in Person and Networking
By Luis Kun on April 16th, 2024 in Articles, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, President's Message, Social Implications of Technology
Dr. Kiani is a wonderful example of practicing what she preaches. First, she believes in talking with very young/K12 girls to get involved in STEM and she is very active in the IEEE-USA efforts. The implementation of the Nepal project is an example of “walk the talk.”
Human Centricity in the Relationship Between Explainability and Trust in AI
By Peter Lewis on March 20th, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Editorial & Opinion, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The term “explainability” is a multifaceted concept within the realm of computer science. In essence, it encompasses various aspects and capacities of a system to effectively convey its internal processes, decision-making, capabilities, and constraints to its users. Providing explanations can notably enhance initial trust, especially when trust is measured as a multidimensional concept that includes aspects such as competence, benevolence, integrity, intention to return, and perceived transparency.
Gender Equality in Engineering: An Institutional Reflection
By Jeremy Pitt on February 28th, 2024 in Articles, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
We identified five key issues to prioritize when addressing gender equality: Reaching critical mass; Improving lived and living experience (maintaining critical mass); Selection and resource-allocation criteria; The misconception of merit in academia; Beyond gender equality.
On Aerial Perspective, Socio-Technical Systems, and Interdisciplinarity:
By Heather Love on February 16th, 2024 in Articles, Commentary, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
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.
Words, Acronyms, Languages, and Perceptions: The Human Mind, Life, and Semantics Interoperability
By Luis Kun on January 20th, 2024 in Articles, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, President's Message, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
In June 2013 Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama signed a historic agreement to begin cooperation on cybersecurity. The mutual understanding developed through previous work in 2011 was to define critical terminology for a cyber conflict. I was part of the U.S. team that held the Russia-U.S. Bilateral discussions on cybersecurity. The aim was to build collaborative relationships between many nations in defining a common vocabulary so that mistakes would not be made because of misinterpretations of a certain word. It took us months just to agree on 20 terms
Book Review: Age of Auto Electric: Environment, Energy, and the Quest for the Sustainable Car
By David N. Lucsko on January 10th, 2024 in Articles, Book Reviews, Environment, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
When an early-adopter buddy of mine stopped by recently in his brand-new electric Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, I was stunned at how impressed I was. For one thing, unlike other electric vehicles (EVs) I have seen up close (mostly Teslas), this one looked and felt like a real car: it had a real dashboard with real switches and knobs, a real brake pedal, and an overall design that did not look like something an eight-year-old doodled after seeing Blade Runner 2049. More importantly, it was by far the fastest vehicle I have ever driven, so much so that by the end of a quick spin I had an idiotic grin on my face I could not quite shake. It was, as Matthew Eisler reports in Age of Auto Electric, the “EV smile.”
BOOK REVIEW: The BBC: A Century on Air
By A. David Wunsch on December 30th, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Communication Technology, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Book review of The BBC: A Century on Air, by David Hendy
Last Chance – SSIT MATCHING FUNDS OPPORTUNITY!
By terribookman on December 27th, 2023 in Announcements, Blog Posts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, SSIT Announcements
Last Chance! Opportunity expires Sunday Dec 31! Matchi Click HERE
Potential Impact of Data-Centric AI on Society
By Sumit Datta on December 18th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
DCAI has the potential to revolutionize many industries and fields by enabling more efficient and effective decision-making based on insights extracted from data. Monitoring and evaluating the algorithm’s performance can help identify and mitigate biases over time, ensuring reliable and ethical results.
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.
SSIT Matching Funds Opportunity!*
By terribookman on November 15th, 2023 in Announcements, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements
Donate to SSIT online at https://ieeefoundation.org/ieee_ssit
ChatSh*t and Other Conversations (That We Should Be Having, But Mostly Are Not)
By Jeremy Pitt on November 3rd, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming people’s access to and attitudes toward knowledge. It is an extremely powerful technology, but this transformation presents numerous social, environmental, political, and educational considerations.
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.
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.