Technology and inequality
Technology can be the driving force behind an exponential increase in welfare and wellbeing. Innovations in robotics, big data and artificial intelligence promise to have an impact on work, income, health and wellbeing. In short, impact on the strength of the economy and our quality of life. But for whom? To what extent and how will technological innovations affect social inequalities? Is technology the great equalizer, or quite the opposite?
In this edition of Art & Tech on Sunday, we will take a critical look at how technology shapes the world in which we live. While it promises to improve our lives, this may not be the case for everyone. Technology is never neutral, but is designed with a specific user and use case in mind. But what if technology is used in a different context? Or is needed by someone who does not fit the user profile? Who will benefit most from these technological developments?
To open our eyes to the wide range of possibilities, desirable or otherwise, we need fresh perspectives. Join us for a discussion with artists, ethicists and researchers on how we can shape technology instead of the other way round.
Panel
Emma Beauxis-Aussalet is Assistant Professor of Ethical Computing at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Lab Manager at the Civic AI Lab in Amsterdam.
Stefan Buijsman is postdoctoral researcher at the AiTech multidisciplinary research programme at TU Delft and author of the book AI: Alsmaar Intelligenter (AI: Ever more intelligent).
Jelle van der Ster is director of the Utrecht-based media lab and artistic collective SETUP.
The event will be moderated by Desiree Hoving.
Art & Tech on Sunday
In the new series Art & Tech on Sunday we invite artists, who work on the intersection of art and technology, to explore pressing social issues by means of their art. It is often the artist that can offer a mirror for society or even a new paradigm in which we perceive the world with new eyes. Questions will be raised about privacy, intimacy and inequality. The format is subject to change in each episode, depending on the art and the artist, but in each episode the subject is experienced, rather than just discussed. Join the experience!
Art & Tech on Sunday is brought to you by Beta Balie Delft, Crossing Parallels, Studium Generale and Theater de Veste.
