Technology is becoming more complex and interactive. Cars, airplanes, medical devices, supply chains, and electrical systems are all computer-generated, and sometimes they can’t be fixed. Governments and private companies will use digital technologies and artificial intelligence to identify and manage personal data. Today, human interaction is less than before, allowing things to enter and exit our technology that we can’t see or predict. Advances in biotechnology have provided new ways to understand the relationships between humans and nature, political systems, and economic systems. In addition, machines and devices, large and small, are now moving to the “cloud,” replacing human or social control. Learning to “explain” something like artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things is itself a research challenge, as it is difficult to understand how they work or who does what. This complexity makes it difficult for researchers to understand how technologies affect the environment, both positively and negatively, and the policies, policies, and regulations needed to improve the development and design of technologies. This may seem impossible given the rapid pace of technological change and development, but many countries have begun to use computer technology and write laws to regulate global information flows and technological change.
This is important not only from a technical perspective, but also from a quality perspective – our technologies may be faster and better than ever before, but our knowledge of how to use them can protect and reduce their risks. The design of technological systems, largely driven by public policies and institutions, has had a profound impact on public organizations and institutions, moving from open-source, distributed, and decentralized systems with complex governance to closed systems characterized by complex models and hierarchies. As we explore new and better technological possibilities, our understanding of the nature, impact, and politics of new technologies continues to evolve. Learn about the challenges and benefits of studying the technologies that are changing our society, what we need, and what tools we have to make these changes happen.
Technology can make a difference. It helps solve some of our society’s biggest problems, including climate change, natural disasters, and disease. Innovation and revolutionary change lead to the creation of new technologies and the emergence of new technologies, so that all new technologies can be driven by economic growth (Schumpeter, 1942). Instead, they can be used as weapons to spread fear and terrorism, to exploit weaknesses in law enforcement and information systems, to strengthen economic and social ties between and within countries, or to develop unprecedented weapons and tactics. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the term “technology” began to refer to specific technologies that became the basis of political and social development or, more dangerously, one of the most important and crucial factors in the development of modern societies (Mark 10). More recently, technologists have embraced the new trend of Luddites who want to embrace technology and return to the past.
