Creating the Bionic Ear

June 2017

Special Issue: Thinking Machines in the Physical World - IEEE 2016 Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century

Vol. 36, No. 2

“The power to do good is also the power to do harm.” [–Milton Friedman]

Norbert Wiener knew that smart machines and robots would contribute to improvements in human lives. He was also keenly aware of potential downsides, from dehumanization, to time-stress, to loss of jobs to robots. Articles in this issue closely examine our relationships to these technologies in the early 21st Century.

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• Intentionality: Value Apart from the Machine by Christine Perakslis Posted in: Human Impacts, Last Word, Magazine Articles - The effect of technologies on our lives might be less about technology and more about the priorities and parameters we… ...  Read More
• The Dangers of Distributed Intelligence by Guest Author Posted in: Editorial & Opinion, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - There is an increasing interest in, and implementation of the Internet of Things. As the number and types of interconnections… ...  Read More
• Ikehara Collection: Norbert Wiener’s Japan Connections by Heather Love Posted in: Commentary, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - A new archive of material added a new historical dimension to our discussions of cybernetics at the 2016 Norbert Wiener… ...  Read More
• Thinking Machines in the Physical World by Arthur Winston Posted in: Commentary, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - Arthur Winston addressed to attendees of the 2016 IEEE Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century, Melbourne, Australia, held… ...  Read More
• Creating the Bionic Ear: The Central Role of Cybernetics by Graeme Clarke Posted in: Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles - Graeme Clark is the inventor of the cochlear implant. He was the dinner Keynote Speaker at the 2016 Conference on… ...  Read More
• A Review of Technology Advances for Assisting Paralyzed People by Sunil Jacob Posted in: Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Leading Edge, Magazine Articles, Robotics - Many stroke survivors retain some degree of paralysis and thus have limited use of their body. According to published surveys,… ...  Read More
• Black Mirror by Doug Hill Posted in: Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - The future as depicted in works of science fiction, especially of the multiplex variety, is almost uniformly dystopian. The bleakness… ...  Read More
• The Fleeting Opportunity to Create our Values by Design by John Havens Posted in: Editorial & Opinion, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - What are your values? I'm asking you, the reader. As a quick exercise, try to write down ten values you… ...  Read More
• Algorithmic Bias: Addressing Growing Concerns by Guest Author Posted in: Ethics, Leading Edge, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - In the context of the IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems, and with support… ...  Read More
• Can We Program Ethics into AI? by Keith Miller Posted in: Ethics, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - At the IEEE 2016 Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century, held in Melbourne, Australia, July 13–15, 2016, Keith… ...  Read More
• Getting from 1932 to 1945 by Guest Author Posted in: Ethics, Societal Impact - Responsibilities of Scientists and Engineers in Times of Chaos and Upheaval If the future is coming at an ever accelerating… ...  Read More
• Not So Fast by Katina Michael Posted in: Book Reviews, Societal Impact - Not So Fast: Thinking Twice about Technology. By Doug Hill. Univ. of Georgia Press, Oct. 15, 2016, 240 pp. In… ...  Read More
• Pressed for Time by Guest Author Posted in: Book Reviews, Human Impacts, Societal Impact - Pressed for Time: The Acceleration of Life in Digital Capitalism. By Judy Wajcman. Chicago, IL: Univ. of Chicago Press, 2015,… ...  Read More
• The Truth about Tesla: The Myth of the Lone Genius in the History of Innovation by A. David Wunsch Posted in: Book Reviews, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - By Christopher Cooper. New York: Race Point Publishers, 2015, 195 pages. Ask a “twentysornething” or “millennial” A what the word… ...  Read More
• Speaking Out against Socially Destructive Technologies by Katina Michael Posted in: Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact - Norbert Wiener and the Call for Ethical Engagement Over the last century, the greatest acceleration of technological development has come… ...  Read More
• Going Fishing Matters by Guest Author Posted in: Editorial & Opinion, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles - Dear Editor, Katina Michael, in “Gone Fishing: Breaking with the Biometric Rhythm of Tech-Centricism” (IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Dec.… ...  Read More
• Bots Trending Now: Disinformation and Calculated Manipulation of the Masses by Katina Michael Posted in: Editorial & Opinion, Magazine Articles, Robotics - A bot (short for robot) performs highly repetitive tasks by automatically gathering or posting information based on a set of… ...  Read More
• Operationalizing SSIT’s 5 Pillars by Paul Cunningham Posted in: Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, President's Message - Pillar 1: Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Technology IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology volunteers are making significant progress in… ...  Read More

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