Book tips - Consequences of technology
Technology Consequences
What impact do inventions and new technologies have on our society and our environment? Looking back at the invention of the automobile, it quickly becomes clear that the upheavals can be enormous. When it comes to assessing the impact of technology, research focuses primarily on the energy industry, genetics and medicine. With the increasing penetration of all areas of life through digitalization, information technology is increasingly becoming the focus of attention. Technology assessment (TA) is a sub-field of the philosophy and sociology of technology which, based on university research in the 1970s, is also becoming increasingly important in the context of legislation. The German Bundestag, for example, maintains an office for TA. The European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG) has been advising the European Parliament since 2005.
" If I had known the consequences, I would have become a watchmaker" -Albert Einstein
Source: E-3 Magazine - Issue October 2016
HOMO Creator
Technology determines our lives. Although it was considered in individual aspects from Plato and Aristotle right up to the twentieth century, it has only become an independent subject of philosophy in recent decades. It is therefore a matter of clarifying very central and challenging tasks - from human creativity to a clarification of what a technical artifact is, to technical knowledge, in all these elements linked to the problem of responsibility.
The SAP project
How does software model the world of organizations? What is the social significance of complex information and communication technology? Hannah Mormann uses the widely used standard software from SAP, which is used in many different organizations to design business processes, to investigate the associated social struggles of interpretation. She explains the organizational model and the dissemination mechanisms of the software and shows how SAP technology is integrated into and shapes the everyday organizational life of various companies. However, this attitude is an obstacle to developing a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between organization and software.
New electronic media and addictive behavior
The 43rd volume of the book series Studien des Büros für Technikfolgenabschätzung beim Deutschen Bundestag highlights the scientific findings on the extent and consequences of addictive media use, differentiated according to the various forms of online (gambling) addiction, shopping addiction, sex addiction and social network addiction. The authors also show the interests of the stakeholders involved and the political options for action.
Responsible Innovation
Responsible Research & Innovation RRI has become an important buzzword in EU research policy. The goal: Technical innovations should be oriented toward ethical and societal requirements and not be determined solely by commercial interests. RRI therefore calls for the early involvement of technology assessment (TA) in innovation processes. But what can TA achieve within this framework? And how viable is the concept of RRI anyway?
Interaction
Algorithms cast in software that defeat world chess champions or successfully compete against humans in interrogative games demonstrate the radical changes in a software-driven world that require bridges between computer scientists and technicians and philosophers to understand. In this sense, the author argues for a philosophy of technology in which software plays a significant role. Concepts thereby experience new perspectives and meanings.
