Rebooting Tech for a Human-Centered Approach with Mary Aiken & Simon Segars at SXSW 2018
During their session at SXSW 2018, Cyber-psychologist Dr. Mary Aiken and CEO of Arm Simon Segars discussed the impact of technology on human behavior. Read on and watch the full session to learn how the rapid acceleration of tech development is not only re-shaping business and global markets but is changing basic human needs like eye contact. Learn how all of this change has led to an ethical challenge in what Dr. Aiken calls "the largest unregulated social experiment of all time".
"From a human perspective, the evolution of technology vs. human evolution has blindsided the human population in terms of trying to keep up with that change." – Dr. Mary Aiken
Throughout this evolution, Simon Segars has had a front-row seat for over 25 years. He led the development of early ARM processors for the world’s first digital mobile phones and now spearheads ARM’s vision for smart and connected technologies. The development of this technology has radically changed the way we live our lives and augmented the human experience, but Segars never envisioned that this technology would take away from the human experience.
On-stage, Segars and Aiken discuss how face to face communication has changed as a result of mobile technology and connectivity and address the other unintended consequences of tech development.
"We are heading into a world of AI, and before we get into that it is important to take a moment to reflect on where we are today. What can we learn from the last 10-15 years of development, especially in terms of its impact on children?" – Simon Segars
Children are now growing up with a dependence on technology. With accessibility to the internet and connected devices like Alexa, children will be exposed to greater opportunity but also greater risk. As technology continues to accelerate at an exponential rate, Aiken calls for a fundamental change in the way we look at our devices and the internet in order to educate future generations.
"We need to have a paradigm shift in how we conceptualize the internet," said Aiken. "It is an entity that has the ability to have a profound and pervasive impact on human behavior; an impact in terms of the individual, the cyber-psychology of the individual; an impact in terms of sociology, how we interact as a group in technology-mediated environments; and an impact in terms of our development."
Watch the full session and learn more about the evolution of technology and how we can maintain our humanity in an age of automation, connectivity, and disruption.
Register to join us next March 8-17 for SXSW 2019. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage and 2019 updates.
Featured Image: Mary Aiken and Simon Segars Rebooting Tech for a Human-Centered Approach SXSW 2018 Session
By Ari Roth
09/20/2018
