In the global rat race of competitive cities, the belief in ‘smart solutions’ seems almost evangelical. But what do we find beyond the dystopia of a city that is too smart? In this bootcamp we seek for human-centric approaches to the development of city and society, balancing efficiency and ethics.
Smart about Cities
The digital revolution is in full swing. The amount of data we produce doubles every year. In other words: in 2016 we produced as much data as in the entire history of humankind through 2015. Big data has arrived, but have big insightstoo? Technological advancement boosted an era of promised urban innovation, all fuelled by digitalization. Literally, cities seem to transform from being fuel addicted to data driven. Digitalisation impacts every industry. Think of health care, finance, security, education, logistics and the energy sector. One tumbles upon emerging phenomena like The Internet of Things, Big (Open) Data, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Vehicles. The promise for increased efficiency is great. But does that make great cities?
The Ethics of Things
Everything becomes intelligent; soon we will not only have smart phones, but also smart homes, smart vehicles and smart toilets. When does it all become a bit too smart? The faith in big data equals big responsibility; otherwise Big Brother becomes reality. In the middle of a technological upheaval that will transform the way society is organized, it is important to make the right decisions on the ethics of things. Were do we draw the line when it comes to public advancement versus the protection of individual rights?
Facing the Future
In this boot camp you will explore, discuss and develop scenarios that shape the future in a responsible way. You will interact with internationally recognised speakers, working in practice and academia. In two company visits you will learn about practical implication – at the IBM Center for Advanced Study we will for example deal with the ethics of artificial intelligence, crowdsourcing and Watson cognitive computing. The full three days revolve around you and your bright-minded peers. Join us this summer!