Tech's Growing Influence and How Diverse Creators Can Make it Better for Us All
Published on: June 28, 2023
There's no denying it: we are more reliant on technology than ever before.
Think about going shopping for something. Something you need. You likely pay with a credit card, or maybe with a mobile payment app, like Apple Pay. But what if the store's wifi goes out while you are trying to pay? Does the store take cash? Do you even have cash? There's a good chance that if the tech stops working, you're leaving empty-handed.
That's just one example of course. Our reliance on tech is there in every aspect of our lives. We rely on GPS navigation to get us where we're going. We use web conferencing apps like Zoom to collaborate and communicate. And when we need information, we turn to search engines like Google to answer our questions.
These technologies and tools do make our lives easier in many ways, but their prevalence and unavoidability raise some concerns. How do we function when the technology we rely on ceases to work? What's lost when so much of what we do is automated or assisted by technology? Perhaps most importantly: who is responsible for building and maintaining those technologies?
These are big questions with complicated answers. Today we're going to be looking primarily at the last one.
How Bias Impacts Technology
All technology, even artificial intelligences (AIs), is designed by people. As people train and program those technologies to fulfill their purposes, their own preferences and biases shape how those technologies function. Ideally, the designers, programmers and coders are well-intentioned and want their technology to serve the good of society. But even determining what exactly is "good" is not always so easy.
Think about a GPS navigation app. Do you think it's more important that you get to your destination as fast as possible, or is it more important that your route is the most efficient and uses the least amount of gas? Do you prefer driving on a highway or do you prefer quieter backroads and sidestreets?
Ultimately, the choice is yours. But the GPS app you may be using likely doesn't know your preferences. Instead, it functions how it's programmed to, based on the preferences of the person or people creating it. Of course, many apps DO allow you to input your own preferences, but even then, the choices it gives you are subject to the whims and bias of the programmer.
It's also worth noting that the app's function may also be dictated by the limits of the technology it uses. That GPS app may not be able to tell the difference between a busy, four-lane highway and a calmer two-lane side street. But as the capability of technology increases, the influence of its creators will be even more significant.
A Larger Talent Pool of Creators Lead to Better Tech
Given the influence that tech creators and programmers have on the function of a piece of technology – and by extension, the influence they have on our lives – it's invaluable that the people shaping our technology have a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds.
After all, if technology is going to dictate nearly every aspect of our lives, and that technology is directed by the preferences and biases of its creators, then it's essential that the people creating the tech represent a wide variety of backgrounds and have differing opinions and priorities.
A terrific illustration of all this is self-driving cars. These vehicles, viewed by many in the tech field as a major innovation that could seismically impact the automotive field, utilize algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect pedestrians and avoid hitting them. Yet some research has indicated these AI models used by the cars struggle to recognize darker skin tones. Some have suggested this is because the AI used by these cars was trained primarily with images of people with lighter skin. This likely wasn't done maliciously, but simply reflects an invisible bias of the cars' programmers, who weren't aware that by not including a broader range of images they were creating a blind spot for the cars. However, having a more diverse group of people creating the AI could have led to the problem being recognized earlier and the creation of self-driving cars that are safer, smarter and more reliable for everyone.
Be Part of Making Tomorrow's Tech Better Today
Tech's influence and prominence in our lives is certainly not going to go away or diminish, so it's truly essential that people creating it represent all of humanity and many different views and opinions. The future of tech and by extension, the future of humanity, is dependent on the people creating it.
People like you.
And to get into the room where these vital tech decisions are made or to simply build a career in this field, you need a degree from a program that not only provides a strong foundation of computer software and programming knowledge but also lets you get hands-on with the latest technology and put everything you've learned to work. Husson's Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Software Development programs, both part of the School of Technology and Innovation, can empower you with the skill you need to be a part of building the future.
Request more info or apply online. Your skill is needed to make sure the technology of tomorrow truly serves everyone.
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