Category: Social Implications of Technology

Food Security and Agriculture: Technology, Policy, Choices

By on October 1st, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Case Studies, Editorial & Opinion, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

Food security and agriculture are complex systems that interconnect with many other issues, including poverty and environmental sustainability. These urgent issues inspire proposals for technological solutions. Emerging technologies are often proposed as ways to increase food supply to end hunger. Other proposals target agricultural practice, grounded in the knowledge that agriculture has a large carbon footprint, and the fear that the negative climate impacts of agriculture would worsen as the population increases.

Day Two of ISTAS 2024 Features IEEE President-Elect Kathleen Kramer, and Panel on Risks of GenAI

By on September 19th, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Conferences, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, Standards

ISTAS 2024 continued on Thursday September 19 in Puebla, Mexico, with a second day of outstanding programming addressing the social implications of artificial intelligence, as well as sustainability and climate change, ethics and human values, and technology policy and law.

ISTAS 2024 Kicks Off with Discussion of Social Implications of AI 

By on September 19th, 2024 in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Conferences, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, Standards

CS president Jyotika Athavale called the conference’s topic a reminder to IEEE members and the technical community that “everything we do has a lasting impact… that extends far beyond the insularity of the scientific community” to encompass the “broader implications” of technology, and in particular artificial intelligence.

Call for EIC/Co-EICs of IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society

By on September 19th, 2024 in Announcements, Articles, Blog Posts, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements, Transactions

The Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) seeks applications and nominations for the position of Editor-in-Chief (EIC) or Co-Editors-in-Chief (Co-EICs) of the IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society (TTS) for a three-year term (once renewable) beginning 1 January 2026.

Text Neck: Looking Down at Devices for Way Too Long

By on September 18th, 2024 in Articles, Case Studies, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

Text Neck is a classic ergonomic issue that has come about as a direct result of technological innovation, as people have begun to increasingly use digital media of all types to text, talk, browse the internet, listen to music, watch videos, or play online games.

ISTAS 2024 Has Officially Opened!

By on September 18th, 2024 in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Call for Papers, Conferences, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements

ISTAS 2024 in Puebla, Mexico, has officially opened!
Tom Coughlin 2024 IEEE President gave the opening address this morning September 18, 2024, via recorded feed.
Virtual registration is still available for attendees outside of Mexico.

Advancing Gender Equality Through Interdisciplinarity

By on August 28th, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

There is a clear parallel between conceptualizations of comedy clubs and AI labs as masculine spaces, and jokes and technology as for men. As Sutko writes, [AI] technology often gets equated with “men’s power,” while women and girls are portrayed as less technologically skilled and less interested than their male counterparts. Such stereotypes can contribute to the gender gap in women’s participation in related fields.

Enhancing Sustainability in Resource-Limited Environments: Government, Culture, and AI

By on July 10th, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Case Studies, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

Spain’s Comunitat Valenciana (Valencian Community) (Figure 1) has a rich agricultural history, with long traditions of resilience and innovation. This tradition,…  Read More

Technological Solutions to Online Toxicity: Potential and Pitfalls

By on July 3rd, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Case Studies, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

Social media platforms present a perplexing duality, acting at once as sites to build community and a sense of belonging, while also giving rise to misinformation, facilitating and intensifying disinformation campaigns and perpetuating existing patterns of discrimination from the physical world.

AI and Data Technologies in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

By on June 15th, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Editorial & Opinion, Environment, Ethics, Health & Medical, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

The articles in this special issue focus on the connected nature of the SDGs and the need to address them using community-based approaches and span essential steps for widespread SDG attainment, including planning, implementation, and monitoring.

Sustainability in the Built Environment: The Galapagos Experience

By on May 16th, 2024 in Articles, Case Studies, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

The LLES Project promotes the transformation of the conventional construction paradigm, incorporating bioclimatic architecture strategies like passive measures to minimize heat gain and maximize cooling.

Climate Change News – AI and Climate Change

By on May 6th, 2024 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Environment, Magazine Articles, News and Notes, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact

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).”

Introducing the Editorial Board—Part I

By 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.