Techruption

Catalog description

No technology emerges without changing the fabric of society around it. We cannot isolate its impact to a single design solution or benefit. This is true of all technology - think of fire, paper, wheel, engine, the printing press, etc. - but as the rate of technological development and reach accelerates, we are hardly afforded the time to take a step back and evaluate its implications. If it does any good, humanity will buy into it. Even when the good is questionable, the fear of being left behind in a competitive global wealth race, forces adoption at global scale. The goal of this course is to examine technology with an emphasis on AI and software technology in particular to answer the following questions: What side-effects do we not consider when examining technology through the narrow lens of what it purports to achieve?; Is it net-positive when we consider all side-effects including both beneficial and harmful ones?; How can we empower ourselves to mitigate the impact of technological advancements on our societies, or at least control how they influence our lives?