Machine learning – Two concerns that halt the development

24

October

2017

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One of the most notable new technologies of this age is machine learning (ML). This a machine’s ability to keep improving its performance without humans specifically telling it how to further develop it capabilities (Brynjolfsson & Mcafee, 2017). Machine learning practices are opening opportunities for many different markets. In the transport industry, self-driving cars will dominate the scene within ten years. Likewise, houses, factories and cars will be full of sensors. These sensors will register an enormous amount of data which will be sent to the cloud to be combined with other data parts and analysed. For example, cars will be able to communicate with each other to predict traffic jams beforehand and prevent them from happening. Artificial intelligence will also have its impact in the financial world where learning algorithms can be able to predict the chance someone can pay back his mortgage.

There seem to be a lot of opportunities and possible positive applications of machine learning practices. However, some factors still need to be accounted for to allow this new technology to become widely used.

Machine learning developments are expected to increase exponentially, however the firms are complaining the job market is not ready for it. Real data scientists are scarce and desperately searched for by companies (Financieel dagblad, 2015). Moreover, there are huge privacy concerns with the aggregation with large sums of data storable on the cloud. For example, concerning the health care industry, insurers could find out if their clients run the risk for some diseases and refuse to insure them.

These two problems remain still unsolved. It is noteworthy that statisticians and econometrists can still study without being able to program in SQL or R, thus lacking the skills to become the data scientists that companies are looking for. Also the privacy concerns remains unsolved, could block chain be a solution?

In general we like the stress the opportunities when talking about new technologies, however, the possible threats should not be neglected.

Brynjolfsson, E. and McAfee, A. 2017. The Business of Artificial Intelligence. Harvard Business Review.

https://fd.nl/fd-outlook/1120278/deep-learning-maakt-ons-bestaan-smarter-en-kwetsbaarder

Click to access Maurits-Martijn-Dimitri-Tokmetzis-Je-hebt-wel-iets-te-verbergen-De-Correspondent-2016.pdf

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Facebook is draining our brain

24

October

2017

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Facebook is draining our brain

How often do you see yourself, wandering toward your cell phone, brainlessly checking your Facebook feed? How often do you tell yourself you want the spend less time on social media?

The communication revolution is reshaping our lives and has drastically increased the amount of information we receive each day. Nowadays 86% of the Dutch people have Facebook and 91% of the teachers on high schools allow students to make use of their IPhone during class (GFK, 2016). These developments seem harmless. However, it has already been proven that the so-called generation Millennials (people born between 1980-2000) are more likely to suffer depression and social media has a role in this (GGZ, 2016).

We often seek the problem with ourselves: We should “just” check our e-mail, Facebook. Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter and Snapchat less often. But aren’t we too tough on ourselves? The answer is yes. The software we use is particularly designed to be addictive. Software developers use tools such as behavioural analytics to increase engagement and design software in such ways that it makes us click.

Why do software developers do this? The answer is simple: It is the value of information. Our page views, clicks, likes and all other information we expose when using applications have value and drive business models. Our attention is literally worth money.

Since our attention is worth money, the software developers want to distract you, lure you to their applications and once you are there, detain you. There is a growing group of former employees of Tec giants that are warning society for products they helped develop themselves (The guardian, 2017). The fear a “Smartphone dystopia” and claim that our minds van be hijacked.

Think of this moment you opened your laptop, to do something specific, to realise quite a while later that you did not at all do what you were planning to do? Instead Facebook sucked your attention and you are unconsciously checking out cat videos again. If this is not hijacking your brain, what is it then?

http://www.gfk.com/nl/insights/news/smartphone-gebruik-in-de-klas/ 

Overmatig gebruik social media verhoogt kans op depressie bij jongeren

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia

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