race against the machine - the impact of technology on society. COURSE FULL. YOU CAN JOIN THE WATING LIST BY E-MAILING US AT LEARNINGEXPERIENCES@BELL.NET
Technology is transforming our society in so many ways, whether it is robots replacing workers, artificial intelligence replacing human decision making, biotechnology making personalized healthcare possible, or “big data” enabling all
kinds of problem solving, but also the micro-targeting of products and services to each of us. The “internet of things” is about to tie billions of inanimate objects into the internet, supposedly making everything more efficient. Food production is increasingly mechanized, with genetically modified food becoming more prevalent. These are some of the more obvious examples of dramatic technological change, but there are more.
The question is whether this race to a technologically-driven future is actually improving the human condition. So far most believe technology has been beneficial, but some leading thinkers are now worried. Stephen Hawking, possibly the world’s most respected scientist, has expressed serious concern about the effect of artificial intelligence on humanity.
Will there be jobs and incomes for all? Will personal freedoms be compromised? Will we become an even more unequal society? Will technology be used for peaceful purposes or to make new kinds of war? In short, will “the machine” serve us or will we serve the machine? In this course we will explore the political, social & economic aspects of the accelerating technological transformation, looking at the questions above in relation to various technologies.
Come away aware of the benefits & risks of the big technology developments of our age, & what society should be doing to manage our increasingly technological world.
Moderator: John Simke
Dates and Time: September 10 to October 15 (6 weeks)
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor Street West, Room TBD
Maximum Size of Class: 25
Booking: See Terms and Conditions. To book a course, you can register on-line below, or you can send us a cheque, payable to Learning Experiences at 102 Bloor Street West - PH9, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1M8. COURSE FULL. YOU CAN JOIN THE WAITING LIST BY CONTACTING US AT LEARNINGEXPERIENCES@BELL.NET
kinds of problem solving, but also the micro-targeting of products and services to each of us. The “internet of things” is about to tie billions of inanimate objects into the internet, supposedly making everything more efficient. Food production is increasingly mechanized, with genetically modified food becoming more prevalent. These are some of the more obvious examples of dramatic technological change, but there are more.
The question is whether this race to a technologically-driven future is actually improving the human condition. So far most believe technology has been beneficial, but some leading thinkers are now worried. Stephen Hawking, possibly the world’s most respected scientist, has expressed serious concern about the effect of artificial intelligence on humanity.
Will there be jobs and incomes for all? Will personal freedoms be compromised? Will we become an even more unequal society? Will technology be used for peaceful purposes or to make new kinds of war? In short, will “the machine” serve us or will we serve the machine? In this course we will explore the political, social & economic aspects of the accelerating technological transformation, looking at the questions above in relation to various technologies.
Come away aware of the benefits & risks of the big technology developments of our age, & what society should be doing to manage our increasingly technological world.
Moderator: John Simke
Dates and Time: September 10 to October 15 (6 weeks)
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor Street West, Room TBD
Maximum Size of Class: 25
Booking: See Terms and Conditions. To book a course, you can register on-line below, or you can send us a cheque, payable to Learning Experiences at 102 Bloor Street West - PH9, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1M8. COURSE FULL. YOU CAN JOIN THE WAITING LIST BY CONTACTING US AT LEARNINGEXPERIENCES@BELL.NET