Mega-platforms have, with the addition of one extra ingredient, combined lock-in and loyalty to create a grave, and perhaps unexpected, consequence. The extra ingredient is psychology; and the unexpected consequence is what might be called digital dependence.
Category: Social Implications of Technology
To Trust or Not to Trust?
By Christine Perakslis on March 12th, 2020 in Social Implications of Technology
Social trust is violated when surveillance technologies fuel clandestine campaigns to construct oppressive systems used to control (and punish) members of society.
Norbert Wiener Conference Submission Deadline Extended
By Greg Adamson on March 9th, 2020 in Announcements, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology
The submission deadline for the 3rd IEEE Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century conference has been extended to March 20, 2020.
Smarter Homes for the Elderly: A Reality Check
By Stephen Cobb on February 27th, 2020 in Blog Posts, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The primary driver for agetech investment appears to be growing fears around caring for aging populations. But initiatives tend to skate over some of the inherent challenges.
Deepfake Videos and DDoS Attacks (Deliberate Denial of Satire)
By Jeremy Pitt on February 19th, 2020 in Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Democracy itself is under (yet another) threat from deepfake videos … deepfake videos could be used to create compromising material of politicians: for example, the digitally-altered video2 of U.S. House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to slur drunkenly was viewed millions of times and tweeted by the U.S. President, and although the video is demonstrably a hoax, the tweet remains undeleted.
Ethics and System Design in a New Era of Human-Computer Interaction
By Roba Abbas on February 10th, 2020 in Editorial & Opinion, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Contemporary and emerging digital technologies are leading us to question the ways in which humans interact with machines and with complex socio-technical systems. The new dynamics of technology and human interaction will inevitably exert pressure on existing ethical frameworks and regulatory bodies.
Review: Films from the Future
By Katina Michael on January 28th, 2020 in Book Reviews, Ethics, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Somehow at the heart of sci-fi is returning power to the people who almost always regain control before things get completely out of hand. But we learn that our freedom comes at a cost. The reassuring aspect of Maynard’s work is that justice prevails, despite the ominous lurking of some technological beast that is waiting to be unleashed.
Tuning Networks for Prosocial Behavior
By Sun Sun Lim on January 17th, 2020 in Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Social media have been seen to accelerate the spread of negative content such as disinformation and hate speech, often unleashing a reckless herd mentality within networks, further aggravated by malicious entities using bots for amplification. So far, the response to this emerging global crisis has centered around social media platform companies making reactive moves
Advertise in IEEE Technology and Society Magazine
By terribookman on January 15th, 2020 in Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements
To advertise in T&S Magazine and on this website click here: https://www.officialmediaguide.com/ie27/
IEEE ISTAS 2019 – Plenary 4 – Brave New Brain-Tech: IEEE Neuroethics Program Development of Guidelines for Use of Neurotechnologies in Practice, 16 Nov 19
By Paul Cunningham on January 6th, 2020 in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Conferences, Videos
IEEE ISTAS 2019 Plenary 4 on 16 November ’19 focused on sharing insights into Brave New Brain-Tech: IEEE Neuroethics Program… Read More
Ethics and System Design in a New Era of Human–Computer Interaction
By Roba Abbas on January 2nd, 2020 in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Editorial & Opinion, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
As technology pervades all aspects of our existence, and Artificial Intelligence and machine learning systems become commonplace, a new era of human-computer interaction is emerging that will involve directing our focus beyond traditional approaches, to span other intricate interactions with computer-based systems.
The Social Impact of Innovation and Technology
By Tom Harris on January 1st, 2020 in Podcasts, Societal Impact, Video & Podcasts
Katina Michael, professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering at Arizona State University, speaks with Kimberli J. Lewis
Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Meaningful Human Control or Meaningful Human Certification?
By M.L. Cummings on December 23rd, 2019 in Editorial & Opinion, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
It is important to define autonomy in technology, which is not the same as automation. Automated systems operate by clear repeatable rules based on unambiguous sensed data. Autonomous systems take in data about the unstructured world around them, process that data to generate information, and generate alternatives and make decisions in the face of uncertainty.
Climate Madhouse
By A. David Wunsch on November 29th, 2019 in Book Reviews, Environment, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Mann and Toles crystallize for us climate change denialism, principally in the United States, over the last generation. The core of this denial results from the confluence of several trends deeply embedded in the American culture.
Being Human in the Days/Daze of Big Data
By Jeremy Pitt on November 28th, 2019 in Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Technology for Big Data, and its brother-in-arms Machine Learning, is at the root of, and is the facilitator of, deliberate string-pulling design choices. These design choices are made by people, and so the question actually becomes, do the design choices enabled by Big Data and Machine Learning have the capacity to alter, diminish and perhaps actually “destroy” what it means to be fundamentally human.
Bipartite Approaches: Designing and Delivering Technologies for Body and Soul
By Christine Perakslis on November 19th, 2019 in Human Impacts, Last Word, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Our authors identified risks that can result in diminished humanity, if technology is designed or delivered irresponsibly. Our community addressed much of what it means to be human, in the context of complex and converging processes.
Coming Up This Week – IEEE ISTAS 2019 – Boston
By Paul Cunningham on November 9th, 2019 in Conferences, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The IEEE Society for Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) invites you to participate in its flagship event, the 2019 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society. IEEE ISTAS 2019 takes place 15- 16 November in Boston MA, hosted by the School of Engineering of Tufts University, on its Medford Campus.
Only Two More Days! Matching Gift Offered for Contributions to SSIT Fund
By Robert Dent on November 1st, 2019 in Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements
An anonymous donor has issued a challenge to match donations dollar for dollar up to US$10,000 by December 31, 2019.
If Technology Is a Parasite Masquerading as a Symbiont — Are We the Host?
By Jeff Robbins on October 29th, 2019 in Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Parents have no idea that lurking behind their kids’ screens and phones are a multitude of psychologists, neuroscientists, and social science experts, who use their knowledge of psychological vulnerabilities to devise products that capture kids’ attention for the sake of industry profit.
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.