Week 7: Evaluating and Controlling Technology www.hndit.com IT and Society Week 7: Evaluating and Controlling Technology

What We Will Cover Information, Knowledge, and Judgment www.hndit.com What We Will Cover Information, Knowledge, and Judgment Computers and Community The ‘Digital Divide’ Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology Making Decisions About Technology

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment Evaluating Information on the Web: Expert information or ‘wisdom of the crowd’? Daunting amount of information on the web, much of this information is not correct Search engines are replacing librarians, but Web sites are ranked by popularity, not by expert evaluation Wisdom of the crowd - ratings by public of website If millions participate, the results will be useful

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) Evaluating Information on the Web (cont.): Wikipedia: Written by volunteers, some posts are biased and not accurate Although anyone can write, most people do not Those that do typically are educated and experts

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) Evaluating Information on the Web (cont.): Wisdom of the crowd Problems of unreliable information are not new The Web magnifies the problems Rating systems are easy to manipulate Vulnerable viewers Less educated individuals Children Responsibilities of site operators Should identify user-supplied content Make clear which information has been verified

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) Evaluating Information on the Web (cont.): Manipulation of images: Movies and videos use special effects to add creativity and enjoyment of entertainment People can use technology for deception and fraud Ease with which we can modify digital images and video Should news agencies modify images and videos? Faking photos is not a new phenomenon; more people can do it now because it’s easy

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) Computer Models: Evaluating Models How well do the modelers understand the underlying science or theory? Models necessarily involve assumptions and simplifications of reality How closely do the results or predictions correspond with the results from physical experiments or real experience?

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment (cont.) Computer Models (cont.): Why models may not be accurate We might not have complete knowledge of the system we are modeling The data describing current conditions or characteristics may be incomplete of inaccurate Computing power may be inadequate for the complexity of the model It is difficult, if not impossible, to numerically quantify variables that represent human values and choices

Information, Knowledge, and Judgment Discussion Questions www.hndit.com Information, Knowledge, and Judgment Discussion Questions How do you evaluate the reliability of information you find on the Web? How do your evaluation methods compare to the way you evaluate information from other sources? Some computer models are better than others. What types of models work well? What types don't? Why?

Computers and Community www.hndit.com Computers and Community It is human nature to form associations based on common interests Some feared early technologies, such as telephones, thinking communication would be de-humanized Computers and the Internet were blamed for the decline in community involvement and memberships in clubs and organizations The Internet provides communities focused on specialized interests or problems

Computers and Community Discussion Questions www.hndit.com Computers and Community Discussion Questions How convincing is the argument that electronic commerce threatens small (“brick and mortar”) community businesses and thus the health of small communities? Do you think that communicating by text messaging and via social-networking sites depersonalizes or dehumanizes your relationships with friends?

The "Digital Divide" Trends in Computer Access: www.hndit.com The "Digital Divide" Trends in Computer Access: New technologies only available to the wealthy The time it takes for new technology to make its way into common use is decreasing Cost is not the only factor; ease of use plays a role Entrepreneurs provide low cost options for people who cannot otherwise afford something Government funds technology in schools As technology becomes more prevalent, the issues shift from the haves and have-nots to level of service

Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology www.hndit.com Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology The Neo-Luddite View of Computers, Technology, and Human Needs: Computers cause massive unemployment No real need (We use technologies because they are there, not because they satisfy real needs) Computers cause social inequity Benefit big business and the government Do little or nothing to solve real problems Computers separate humans from nature and destroy the environment

Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology (cont.) www.hndit.com Evaluations of the Impact of Computer Technology (cont.) Accomplishments of Technology: Prices of food are down and raw materials are abundant Real buying power is up Food supplies and GDP are growing faster than the population Dramatic impact on life expectancy Assistive technologies benefit those with disabilities

Making Decisions About Technology (cont.) www.hndit.com Making Decisions About Technology (cont.) Intelligent Machines and Super-intelligent Humans - Or the End of the Human Race? Technological Singularity - point at which artificial intelligence or some combined human-machine intelligence advances so far that we cannot comprehend what lies on the other side We cannot prepare for aftermath, but prepare for more gradual developments Select a decision making process most likely to produce what people want

Making Decisions About Technology Discussion Questions www.hndit.com Making Decisions About Technology Discussion Questions If you could decide what technologies should be developed, what would you develop? Why? Does the prospect of super-intelligent robots scare you?