Seventh Panel Discussion on 'Solutions to Technology Pessimism'

SHYAM SARAN, AMBA KAK, DR AVDESH SHARMA, DR NAND KUMAR

Multipurpose Hall, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre

RELATED PROJECT(S):

Metamorphoses - Talking Technology

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Our modern age is characterised by the pervasive use of digital technologies, which may spawn the internet and the World Wide Web. We now have the widespread use of social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram among others. These are instrumental of democratising the political and social space of vastly improving access to knowledge and enabling quick and efficient communications. Along the benefits, however, come a number of serious concerns, both social and psychological, including phenomena such as trolling the use of bots and internet-addiction. Our challenge lies in using digital technologies for the benefit and welfare of mankind, while mitigating, if not eliminating the negative consequences. 

Chair: Ambassador Shyam Saran, Former Foreign Secretary and Life Trustee, India International Centre

Speakers:

Amba Kak- Public Policy Advisor, Mozilla Corporation

Dr Avdesh Sharma- Senior Psychiatrist

Dr Nand Kumar- Professor, Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS

The talk will be livestreamed on the IIC website; streamed through Facebook-live on the Metamorphoses Facebook page; and video recordings will be available on YouTube, as well as disseminated through social media channels hosted on the Metamorphoses website. The promotional video for Metamorphoses can be accessed here.

Questions will be taken on a special number through SMS, provided at the venue, and selected ones will be answered given time constraints. 

Metamorphoses is a modest effort to try and bridge the gap between digital technologies, which are transforming our lives, and our understanding of their multiple dimensions. It will unfold in a series of nine interactions covering different aspects of the digital revolution.

This series will examine the impacts of digital technologies on the human psyche and on societies – exploring ways in which some of the negative elements may be mitigated. There will be a peep into the future – of what machine learning and artificial intelligence may bring to human experience – and the moral and ethical dilemma associated with these. It will also delve into issues relating to data privacy and cyber security as well as the emerging legal regime to regulate this critical domain.