Public Attitudes Toward Computer Algorithms
Despite the growing presence of algorithms in daily life, the U.S. public expresses broad concerns over the fairness and effectiveness of computer programs making important decisions.
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Regression models are a cornerstone of modern social science. Yet social scientists can run into a lot of situations where regression…
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1. Concerns about human agency, evolution and survival
A clear majority of the responses from these experts contained material outlining certain challenges, fears or concerns about the AI-infused future. The five most-often mentioned concerns were: 1) the use of AI reduces individuals’ control over their lives; 2) surveillance and data systems designed primarily for efficiency, profit and control are inherently dangerous; 3) displacement […]
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Americans’ complicated feelings about social media in an era of privacy concerns
The trends in Americans’ views of social media tell a complex story. Read about the dynamics of Americans’ feelings toward social media.
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3. Improvements ahead: How humans and AI might evolve together in the next decade
Other questions to the experts in this canvassing invited their views on the hopeful things that will occur in the next decade and for examples of specific applications that might emerge. What will human-technology co-evolution look like by 2030? Participants in this canvassing expect the rate of change to fall in a range anywhere from […]
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1. The state of play for technology and looming changes
A strong narrative about online life has arisen in recent years that pushes back against the techno-optimism of the earlier days of the internet. A roundup of recent headlines underscores the darker storyline: The Global Risks 2018 report by the World Economic Forum lists “adverse consequences of technological advances” as one of the top risks […]
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4. Intervention ideas to ease problems
One current public debate centers on whether it is enough to expect people to simply evolve to avoid unhealthy tech habits or whether the only effective solution is for the tech business to evolve different approaches. Nir Eyal advocates in his new book “Indistractible” that people can apply the concepts behind tech addiction – motivation, […]
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3. Concerns about the future of people’s well-being
About half of the people responding in this study were in substantial agreement that the positives of digital life will continue to outweigh the negatives. However, as in all great technological revolutions, digital life has and will continue to have a dark side. Roughly a third of respondents predicted that harms to well-being will outweigh […]
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1. The positives of digital life
The greatest share of participants in this canvassing said their own experience and their observed experience among friends is that digital life improves many of the dimensions of their work, play and home lives. They cited broad changes for the better as the internet revolutionized everything, from the most pressing intellectual and emotional experiences to […]
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3. Fifty-fifty anecdotes: How digital life has been both positive and negative
A number of these experts wrote about both sides of the story, taking the time to point out some of the ways in which digital life is a blessing and a curse. A selection of these mixed-response anecdotes follows. James M. Hinton, an author, commented, “Having grown up in the pre-internet era, my childhood was […]
