Chapter 1: Understanding Technological Impact

For many years, I have acted as an environmental analyst, keeping a keen eye on the evolving landscape of technology.

As a public policy consultant, my role involved collaborating with various agencies to track developments that could either facilitate or impede public initiatives. The scope of my work spanned numerous public institutions, which allocate millions annually for infrastructure projects in regions like Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

In recent decades, I contributed to a team that worked as contractors for the Minnesota State College and University System, producing monthly assessments under the Minnesota Future Work program. Our goal was to forecast the essential soft skills and technical knowledge that students would require to successfully enter the job market. However, keeping pace with the rapid technological advancements became increasingly challenging.

I observed a prevalent focus on the benefits of technological change, often overshadowing the unintended consequences that could fundamentally alter the job landscape for students relying on the MNSCU system for preparation.

In my efforts, I began to monitor all potential outcomes—both those that could assist and those that might obstruct our public objectives.

Over the years, we have witnessed both beneficial and detrimental results stemming from the technologies we encounter daily. When new technologies emerge, the ramifications for students in seemingly unrelated sectors remain uncertain.

Minnesota has programs tailored to support individuals who lose their jobs due to technological advancements. A friend involved in one such initiative shared a compelling story. During interviews with displaced workers, one individual remarked, "Just tell me where the old systems are still in use, and I will seek employment there." My friend replied, "Brazil."

The potential outcomes of monitoring technological impacts are vast, with both positive and negative changes becoming apparent right from the outset. For instance, the advent of airplanes was expected to enable rapid long-distance travel, while the influence of radio and television on both military and entertainment sectors was well understood. Similarly, advancements in road maintenance techniques were anticipated to reduce accidents and hospitalizations.

We recognized that computers would fundamentally transform various sectors. However, a larger issue emerged as numerous technologies were adopted concurrently, resulting in unforeseen changes that few anticipated.

Unintended Consequences of Technology

The unforeseen outcomes of technology can be anticipated or arise unexpectedly. At a fundamental level, the consequences can be categorized into three types:

1. Positive effects
2. Problems
3. Negative effects

Let's examine a technology that most of us are familiar with: email—a tool that can be both a blessing and a curse.

Using email extensively has its benefits. It’s simple to set up, send, and forget. Email can:

• Outline expected tasks
• Describe places of interest
• Express gratitude
• Congratulate individuals on milestones
• Announce offers for potential clients
• Confirm purchases
• Invite people to events
• Distribute political information

Focusing on campaign emails for political candidates, what could possibly go wrong?

You might receive such an overwhelming positive response that you need to secure a larger venue for an event, or you could inadvertently create a mailing list that others might exploit.

Problems arise when:

• Recipients become inundated with excessive political emails, leading them to ignore them.
• Mailing lists are sold to marketing firms beyond your control.
• Campaign operators know that effective email campaigns often yield low response rates.

Negative effects manifest when:

• Resources are squandered in an attempt to communicate efficiently, while recipients must deal with the clutter in their inboxes.

Messaging operates similarly. Despite the negative implications associated with email, the disruption is often manageable; we can tolerate the accumulation of unread political emails or ignored instant messages.

Failures Beyond Disruption

In November 2015, Microsoft launched Project Oxford APIs for various applications, including face tracking and emotion recognition. By February 2018, Palantir had deployed a predictive policing system in New Orleans, which even local council members were unaware of.

In March 2018, a self-driving Uber was involved in a tragic incident, marking the first fatality involving a pedestrian. By June of that year, Orlando Police began testing Amazon's real-time facial recognition technology.

In January 2019, despite promising results from a machine-learning model, city officials in Flint, Michigan, abandoned the project, showcasing the risks tied to rapid technological integration.

Rekognition serves as a notable example. This AI-driven tool identifies objects, people, and scenes in images or videos, marketed by Amazon as a means for law enforcement to apprehend criminals. However, civil rights groups have raised concerns about potential infringements on privacy and the targeting of vulnerable communities.

The ease of implementing such impactful technologies carries significant risks. Utilizing Rekognition to monitor large gatherings can jeopardize our jobs, political campaigns, privacy, and home security.

Indeed, these issues occur daily. Technology is often deployed without thorough scrutiny from external parties or ethical evaluations.

What can go awry, likely will.

Chapter 2: The Broader Implications of Technological Failures

As we delve deeper into the implications of technology, it's essential to recognize both the potential and the pitfalls.

In the video "When Technology Fails: Surviving When It All Goes Wrong," we explore the challenges and consequences that arise when technology does not perform as expected.

Additionally, the video "What are the 7 most dangerous technology trends in 2020?" provides insights into the risks associated with emerging technological trends.