Category: Recent Ideas from Twitter

The NHS and Artificial Intelligence

How will artificial intelligence transform the work of the UK’s National Health Service? Lots of implications for the future of all professional helpers – physical and behavioral health. This piece has some ideas.

Tech and Social Good

There is a lot of discourse about how tech contributes to a variety of social challenges – but what are examples of ways it could contribute to making things better in our world? Here’s a short article with contributors from around the world who are doing exactly that. It challenges us as social workers to imagine, track, and evaluate how these ideas might and might not work for us.

US vs. China in the Tech Race

Reading this article made me reflect more on the book “The Big Nine” by Amy Webb which I reviewed in this blog a couple of weeks ago. What is the US plan for how technology will strengthen our national capacity to succeed in new ways, strengthen democracy and promote economic well-being among our communities? This article suggests we don’t have much of one…particularly when contrasting with China’s multi-decade (even multi-generational) tech plan. It’s a good brief discussion of how, why and when (NOW) we need to advance our collective thinking about how to better prepare ourselves and our country for technology’s next chapter.

A 3D Printed Neighborhood?

Want to stretch your thinking about how to solve the affordable housing crisis in the US and beyond? What if we printed enough for all? Here’s a short piece that imagines that possibility.

How to Revive Your Belief in Democracy?

I have to admit…I wasn’t sure about this TED talk but it got to me. Eric Liu is a “civic evangelist” and is definitely on a mission to strengthen communities through connection and civic renewal. If we believe that a healthy democracy is at the heart of a future we want, this is an inspiring short talk.

How to Think Better About the Future

Here’s a great short piece that covers the fundamentals of futures thinking, foresight and the importance of learning to get comfortable with discomfort to prepare for whatever comes next.

What is the Anthropocene and Why Does It Matter?

In short, it refers to a new era where humanity has impacted the earth’s storyline in an irreversible way. While it doesn’t suggest we are defeated…those who seek to name this “new” period in the earth’s life cycle, alert us to the very real risks and dangers this new phase involves.

The EU’s New Guidelines on Ethical AI

New guidelines (and internationally noteworthy) guidelines are out. Debates and evolution will likely continue – but these are interesting and instructive.

Artificial Intelligence and Job Loss

I’ve posted a number of articles and reports on artificial intelligence (the most indepth which is here). Recently, I’ve been searching for more specific information about projections and possible remedies to potential job loss and economic impacts of widespread job elimination. Interestingly, I found only a few things – but will keep a lookout for additional information.

The case for the humanities as an educational protection against job loss (2018)

Artificial development and human development (2018). This is a report from Canada delving deep into the individual, social and economic impacts of artificial intelligence expansion (including a thoughtful section about the need to prepare for mass retraining of workforces).

World Economic Forum on the future of jobs (2018)

The question isn’t whether AI will take our jobs…. (2018)

Pew Research – the future of jobs and job training (2017)

World Economic Forum – 4 scenarios for what work will look like in 2030 (2018)

Technology, jobs and the future of work (2017)

Slate has been doing a creative series on the future of work (and of bureacracy) which has some interesting and provocative ideas related to future possibilities in this area. Four articles can be found here. (2019)

Is the amount of surveillance at work increasing? This article says yes. (2019)

While not exactly related to AI, this article does touch upon the really important topic of worker engagement in the workplace and the mission of whatever work is being done. I think it is an interesting sign of the times – particularly as it suggests that workplaces are evolving towards being more “meaning” centered. (2019)

Artificial Intelligence and Health Care

Closer to our own world of social work, here’s an article about how artificial intelligence is increasingly entering health systems/services – watch this space and imagine how social work might be impacted in the future. (2018) . Here’s another quick piece on artificial intelligence in health care called “The Robot Will See You Now.” (2017) Pieces like this make it clear that social work would be wise to think about ways to partner with these tools – and be clear about what essential roles we play that are not replaceable. While the piece doesn’t specifically address possible job loss, it is a thought provoking couple of articles.

Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Disaster Relief

Another fascinating area of rapid development in artificial intelligence is that of disaster relief. This piece gives a good overview of the possibilities and emerging practices.

Equity in Tech

New bill in congress called the Algorhithmic Accountability Act (2019) – this is an article about the background and rationale for this important and future facing bill.

Tech ethics in higher education (2019)

Tech/Social Media and Social Change

All social workers can likely boost their reach by understanding more about how to use tech and social media to achieve their goals. This article is a helpful overview of some important strategies and opportunities.

Data and tech as the future of cities – a good foundation article, though as social workers, we will undoubtedly ask more questions about equity and other justice related quality of life city planning issues. (2019)

Though a 2017 article, this piece explores the way that hashtags (such as with #Blacklivematter) have ushered in a new era of social change, and this study informs ways to frame our understanding of what these new tools and platforms may have to offer change agents, as well as limitations.

Imagining Possible Futures

Creative article about how the future is not bounded by traditional categories, or sectors – thinking and working on it is best done in cross-disciplinary ways. (2018)

Nine sci-fi subgenres to help you understand the future (2018). This whole field is known as “speculative fiction” and is becoming an increasingly important in futures study. This article is interesting and fun.

Touch, Tech and Loneliness

With so much tech in our lives now and in the future, and with loneliness and human isolation now considered to be a major social problem expected to grow, what is the future of human connection. This article about human need for touch has interesting implications. What are the implications for ethical social work in this space? (2019)

Menstruation Surveillance

There are increasing numbers of women’s health apps, but this article asks if there might be a downside. (2019)

Hey What’s a Hackathon?

Hackathon’s are places where creative and tech-friendly folks come together to solve problems through partnerships between tech and other resources. It has been suggested that hackathon’s are important places for social workers to explore and participate in to contribute our knowledge and skills to the mix . Here’s a great brief video introduction to the culture and practice of hackathons! (2013) Here’s a few more resources to get you started if you want to learn more:

• What is a hackathon? A newbie’s guide to collaborative coding. (2016)
• What’s a hackathon? Here’s all you need to know. (2018)
• What’s a hackathon and why should you care. (2017)

Mental Health Apps

This amazing Ph.D. student, Henry Willis, is developing a mental health app for Black youth. The app is specifically designed to move through stigma, educate youth about mental health, and link youth to resources. Inspiring! The world needs more of this – culturally relevant and tech-savvy!

Apps are an important set of future facing tools to connect with people in need as never before possible. That said, we have a long way to go to build a sound scientific base for widespread adoption/dissemination. This article discusses some of the limitations and encourages care in not overstating what a large percentage of apps are actually able to do.

Artificial Intelligence

Wonderful article about how to use a new ethical framework to build AI – insist on the engagement and direction of communities to be served to build tech solutions to real world problems.

Exciting work being done by a social work professor (Dr. Desmond Patton at Columbia University) to explain, encourage and promote why social workers as well as others from outside the typical “tech” crowd. Dr. Patton is doing important scholarship in the intersections of race, community, youth well being and equity.

Is it possible that eventually artificial intelligence will outsmart humans? Here’s a recent piece to explore this topic.

Exploring ethics in tech and artificial intelligence – this article describes the urgent challenge.

Robotics to Aid Humans

What if robots could help people with profound mobility challenges/limitations engage in the world, care for themselves and experience fuller lives as a result? Here’s a piece that explores and considers this possibility.

Equity and Oppression in Virtual Spaces

New article about the experiences of women of color in online gaming environments – exploring intersecting oppressions. This piece suggests that racism is easily displaced in online gaming spaces and that intentional and creative approaches are needed to address this emerging set of challenges.

Here’s an article covering a brief history of hate online in the wake of the New Zealand massacre.

Technology to Solve Global Challenges

MIT Press article exploring ways that new and emerging technology might help to address enduring challenges of the present and future. Thought provoking article!

Tech Industry and Activism

What if tech professionals were activists? It turns out – some of them are. This article describes who they are and what they are up to.

Universities and Education of the Future

What will the universities of the future look like? This article is from 2017, but is an interesting imagining of the built environment/architecture of universities of the future given a series of likely transitions in play.

What would high school look like if it were reimagined to prepare students for the most likely scenarios related to the future of work? This article considers this topic – with a few examples of innovative high schools experimenting with new approaches.

Creativity and the Future

In an article from a few years ago, Author Neil Gaiman suggests that our abilities to use our imaginations is among our most important skills for the future…and that our survival may depend on it.

A well-known futurist describes the ways in which futures-oriented foresight methods can move through and/or reveal creative limitations towards more innovative solutions.

This article considers the (essential) roles of creativity and intuition as skills of the future – necessary for success in a variety of sectors.

Learning About the Influence of “Big Tech”

A new book by futurist Amy Webb focuses on the influences and impact of the nine primary high tech corporations working in the world today. Her book “The Big Nine” is reviewed in this piece from Inside Higher Education. This is a book worthy of serious consideration by those of us in university environments.

Higher Education

Is the future of higher education about building communities of lifelong learning? Some folks say yes – and that it is a set of opportunities long overdue. Read this to learn more. (A related piece discusses the future of work is/should actually about learning…)

Here’s an overview of a new book I haven’t read yet (but have ordered!) on speculative futures in higher education. This book is (apparently) full of creative scenarios of what the future of higher education might look like and how we might best navigate the turbulent future of our sector.

Tech and Ethics

CRISPR experts are calling for a moratorium on heritable gene editing. We are starting to acknowledge openly that our science is exceeding our ethical frameworks and that we need time to catch up.

Recent opinion piece about the value of humanity and the human touch in the age of artificial intelligence. It’s a thought provoking and timely piece worth a read.

Strong piece that criticizes and complicates the term “sharing economy” suggesting that it was always about commerce all along. Inspires complex thinking about how and if it would be possible to build/reclaim an internet that is actually for people rather than against them.

Climate

In my last post, I included a couple of citations about Greta Thunberg, youth climate activist and the global youth movement she has been inspiring. Since then, I’ve run across her TED talk. It is definitely worth a listen. We have definitely not seen the last of her.

Tech and Equity

This is an interesting article about “the cost of privacy” in our highly transparent world (technology-wise). Who gets to maintain/protect their privacy and who doesn’t? What are the implications for our shared future? Given our roles as social workers, this piece made me think a lot about how already vulnerable people, may be rendered even more vulnerable by their inability (in our current structures) to protect their privacy.

A new study suggests that autonomous vehicles may be less likely to see dark-skinned pedestrians rendering them more vulnerable to getting hit. Serious implications for equity/safety in our communities.

Is facial data being mined from social media and used in research without the owner’s consent? Yes – and it could be used against us at some point. Folks have been talking about this for some time – this article is a good summary of the issues.

A Futures Lens

What happens when you merge design thinking and a futures lens? Our colleagues at the MacArthur Foundation and Sesame Street are exploring this very idea! Check this out!

My friends at the Institute for the Future have just come out with an “Equitable Futures Toolkit” focused on assuring that equity lenses evolve along with other types of futures work. Awesome tools and resources here to explore and apply in new ways – I’m excited to explore how these might especially be useful/relevant in social work.

What’s new in Chinese science fiction? Fun to hear about how a futures lens is showing up in a global context – check out this interesting piece.

Seeking a vision of gender equity in the future. This article explores how we might conceptualize, look for and build gender equity into what comes next in our world.

Creative article that satirizes/speculates on the topic “Best Places to Live in 2100” – poking fun at popular culture pieces of this type, while shedding valuable light on a variety of climate change issues.

Adorable, inspiring and creative short film featuring kids predicting jobs of the future. I think they may be onto something!

Critiques of future work include mention of a dominant “white straight male” perspective and the importance/urgency of including more diverse voices – open up to some new possibilities of Indigenous Futurism here.

Additional information about Indigenous Futurism here.

Fun and interesting article about bringing an Inuit lens to the digital age.

Robots and Artificial Intelligence

Want to explore information about a new robot that is programmed to respond with facial expressions that reflect human emotions. It is called a Simulative Emotional Expression Robot (SEER). Do you find it fascinating or creepy?

Tech and Medicine

Fascinating article about efforts to build a modem that actually works inside the human body (in this case the human brain). Could be used (according to this article) to treat blindness, paralysis and other challenges. Are we ready – who will get access, who will not, and what might be the ethical dimensions for practice that evolves into this space?

CLIMATE

Students bring climate strikes and protests to the United States. It has been a powerful strategy in other parts of the world. Why not here?

Climate denialism – it’s a thing and many suggest we need to wake up faster. What is social work’s role in helping to accelerate this dialogue?

PROBLEM SOLVING AND THE FUTURE

Interesting piece about 10 ways technology might make the difference in problem solving relating to real world global challenges. Good to intersect with the Social Work Grand Challenges – especially the challenge related to harnessing technology for social good. New partnerships and interdisciplinary lenses will be needed to achieve success in a highly complex world that is unfolding.

THE FUTURE OF THE ECONOMY AND WORK

I keep reflecting on a number of pieces I’ve read in the last year regarding the value (current and future) of “data” in our world – and in particular, the idea that data is now worth more (globally) than oil. Take that in…because it really is a kind of staggering shift in the way we think about economies now and in the not too distant future. Marina Gorbis challenges the idea that “ownership” of our own data is an important concept for the future…thought provoking and creative!

What is the future of our economy? Can we imagine a “post neo-liberal” world? This article challenges us with economic futurism that “might be” more economically inclusive.

Here’s some work being done by governors and state officials to begin to lay out a policy agenda regarding the topic of the future of work. While not endorsing it particularly – it is a sign of things to come and gives some indication of the ways in which we are beginning to frame and consider policy options for future challenges in this area.

DATA, ETHICS AND THE FUTURE

The folks at Digital Bodies have conducted research and produced a workbook of popular education activities focused on data, surveillance, and community safety to co-create and share knowledge, analytics, and tools for data justice and data access for equity. It is called the Digital Defense Playbook and is available here.

Algorithmic Accountability – A Primer. Excellent resource for some fundamentals about what algorithms are, how they function and some easy to understand resources about the ways in which we can, should and must do better in the future to assure that ethics play a role in the building of future digital systems.

What if our digital tools empowered us? I like to imagine that…here’s some folks who are thinking a lot about that idea.

Is block chain ready for prime time? Here is a piece that considers that question with regard to education. Important to keep watching this space to understand if this technology will (as many suggest) transform our work and personal lives. Will it work and be good for everyone? Worth a read to consider these questions.

Including this because an accurate and deep understanding of the complexities of the future depends in many respect on the same perspectives about history. It is hard to imagine a more transformational development in human history (in recent years) than the internet. How will this technology continue to change us and change the world? Perhaps a deep look at how it came to be will help us to understand more about what might happen next. I found this to be an utterly fascinating (and certainly not complete) piece of history about how the internet came to be.

HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE FUTURE

21st Century teaching guide…what will the future of college teaching look like? Some ideas here.

FLEX YOUR CREATIVE MUSCLES INTO NEW WAYS TO IMAGINE THE FUTURE

Medium is an online journal that doesn’t disappoint – frequently offering future facing articles and contributions. They did a recent entire special online edition called “2069” full of creating offerings. This is not a quick read – you might want to grab a beverage and save this one for a “long reading” session, but I will promise you it won’t disappoint. Provocative, creative and interesting articles and creative works in this issue. A great read.

Human Uber? File this under – Laugh or Cry? I guess this is a real thing. I don’t know exactly what this signals…but it is a sign of the times. Complex when you really think about it.

What will charities look like in the future? Some ideas to stretch our creative thinking here.

How to we calculate the impact of innovation – and its’ unintended consequences? How do we best consider innovation as an ethical dilemma? This piece strengthens our understanding and challenge to endeavor to construct a robust ethical agenda for the future. As a long term student of “innovation” this has been badly needed.

Japan’s and health thru tech. Interesting piece about use of technology to support Japan’s aging population.

AI and Health – could AI increase health disparities? Indepth analysis of a social determinants of health perspective on artificial intelligence.

Stuart Candy – Who’s Future is it? This famous futurist offers a great talk about the fundamentals of the futures lens. As a social work academic looking at this phenomenon from a macro lens, I’m curious about a deeper analysis of power woven through the powerful ideas he shares here. More to come!! Love his ideas that we have an underdeveloped sense of collective imagination about the future. Stuart is the inventor of the game “The Thing from the Future” which is a terrific experiential game about doing this exact thing in small group or classroom settings. You can read more (his entire thesis) online here.

Think increasing numbers of climate-change related refugees, with all its pain and injustice, is a story about other parts of the world? This article describes the phenomenon as it is playing out among poor US Southerner’s (primarily persons of color) right now.

Meta-analysis by the MIT Technology Review on the future of artificial intelligence based on a review of 16,625 papers. Authors urge some restraint in assuming unimpeded growth as so many suggest…interesting counter perspective to the majority of what is written on this topic. There may in fact, be something “beyond” AI in the future.

Finland recently did a recent experiment with guaranteed income. They produced a short film about it here. This is a relevant conversation related to the future of work…if scores and scores are automated…is guaranteed income a policy option? That said, some go further and suggest that guaranteed income isn’t enough…guaranteed asset building is the true preferred path to adequately impact poverty. This idea has been deeply explored, studied and reported on by experts in the Social Work Grand Challenges. Excellent report available for free here.

A new term to me “ramp education.” This refers to the need to reskill massive numbers of workers who are most likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence. Deep questions persist about the fate and well being of potentially 32 million workers (according to some estimates) in the near future. This article (with embedded report) provides a road map.

Want to take a quiz to find out how “future proof” your job is? Five quick questions can provide you some surprising results.

Jay Smooth and friends with a terrific short overview of social media literacies of the future – and why they are so urgently needed.

Energy

What is the world energy outlook? Here’s a recent publication that will illuminate some interesting dimensions of this question. In some respects, this is the ultimate futures question and will impact, shape and drive economies, and ultimately the quality of human life on earth. Though social workers may feel like…what does this have to do with me…of course it matters deeply to our own lives as well as the communities we work with.

Future of Work

Imagining collective bargaining as it relates to the future of work – from the Ford Foundation

What is the future of credentialing and how might that work with post-secondary education? Some ideas here.

Eight scenarios for the future of work from the World Economic Forum.

Artificial Intelligence

What is the human future likely to hold given the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence. This piece from Pew Research offers ideas.

Washington Post article exploring whether/how we can make artificial intelligence ethical.

Geopolitical issues related to the international race between China and the U.S. to master and deploy AI.

Helpful over of bias in AI called “Can a machine be racist or sexist?” by data scientist Rene Teate.

7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

People

The Institute for the Future has a fellows program highlighting and amplifying the work of social change anchored futures leaders in the community. You can read more about it and learn about some of their good work here.

Global Futures

UNESCO has offered a brief film about their foresight work in the UNESCO Futures Literacy Lab. This is related to a book written to explore these and many global futures ideas called Transforming the Future: Anticipation in the 21st Century. This is an open access book – available for free here.

Fun article about what it means to “do” futures work in creative ways.

Overview of Canada’s “social innovation lab” model.

More about Canadian futures work.

Futures forecasts/trend analysis 2019 from the international futures forum.

What will cities of the future be like?

Education

What does it mean to design the learning ecosystem of the future? Ideas here!

Arts and the Future

The role of art in addressing climate change.

Gender Representation in the Future

Important article about presence (absence actually) of women in the futures literature. Changing but more diversity and participation needed to keep the future field relevant and reflective of the world.