Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation’s Post

PEW RESEARCH CENTER: Experts Say the ‘New Normal’ in 2025 Will Be Far More Tech-Driven, Presenting More Big Challenges! A plurality of experts think sweeping societal change will make life worse for most people as greater inequality, rising authoritarianism and rampant misinformation take hold in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Still, a portion believe life will be better in a ‘tele-everything’ world where workplaces, health care and social activity improve! When pandemics sweep through societies, they upend critical structures, such as health systems and medical treatments, economic life, socioeconomic class structures and race relations, fundamental institutional arrangements, communities and everyday family life. A new canvassing of experts in technology, communications and social change by Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center finds that many expect similar impacts to emerge from the COVID-19 outbreak. Asked to consider what life will be like in 2025 in the wake of the outbreak of the global pandemic and other crises in 2020, some 915 innovators, developers, business and policy leaders, researchers and activists responded. Their broad and nearly universal view is that people’s relationship with technology will deepen as larger segments of the population come to rely more on digital connections for work, education, health care, daily commercial transactions and essential social interactions. A number describe this as a “tele-everything” world. Notable shares of these respondents foresee significant change that will: worsen economic inequality as those who are highly connected and the tech-savvy pull further ahead of those who have less access to digital tools and less training or aptitude for exploiting them and as technological change eliminates some jobs; enhance the power of big technology firms as they exploit their market advantages and mechanisms such as artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that seem likely to further erode the privacy and autonomy of their users; multiply the spread of misinformation as authoritarians and polarized populations wage warring information campaigns with their foes. Many respondents said their deepest worry is over the seemingly unstoppable manipulation of public perception, emotion and action via online disinformation – lies and hate speech deliberately weaponized in order to propagate destructive ..... https://lnkd.in/e-MSU4GY

We’re investing £59 million in Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) to unlock the power of new forms of data to benefit society. Smart data offers powerful opportunities to understand society and improve lives. The six-year programme will give researchers safe access to smart data that will provide new insights about the way we live and work, to help us tackle challenges in areas including public health, productivity, and decarbonisation. Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation George Freeman MP said: “We are committed to securing the UK’s position as a world leading data economy. Smart Data Research UK will ensure that the safe and responsible use of data can continue to support British researchers to make new scientific and technological breakthroughs.” SDR UK is managed by ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council and is part of the UKRI Infrastructure Fund, which supports the facilities, equipment and resources that are essential for researchers and innovators to do ground-breaking work. More: https://lnkd.in/ej5654wi #SmartData #Digital #Research #Technology

🌐 Breaking Free from Echo Chambers: The Hidden Dangers of Data Collection🌐 In today's digital age, we're constantly bombarded with information tailored to our preferences. While this personalization can be convenient, it also poses a significant risk: the creation of **echo chambers**. 🔄 🔍 What is an Echo Chamber? An echo chamber occurs when our exposure to differing opinions and perspectives is limited, reinforcing our existing beliefs and biases. This is often a result of data collection and algorithmic filtering by social media platforms and search engines. 🚨 Why is it Dangerous? 1. Narrowed Perspective: Reduced exposure to diverse viewpoints stifles critical thinking and open-mindedness. 2. Increased Polarization: Echo chambers amplify divisive rhetoric, fostering societal division and conflict. 3. Misinformation Spread: Homogeneous networks are more susceptible to the rapid spread of false information. 🔒 How Data Collection Plays a Role Every click, like, and share contributes to a digital footprint that platforms analyze to keep us engaged. This data is used to curate content that aligns with our interests, further entrenching us in echo chambers. 📊 💡 What Can We Do? 1. Seek Diversity: Follow a variety of sources and viewpoints to challenge your own beliefs. 2. Be Critical: Evaluate the information you consume and its sources critically. 3. Digital Literacy: Educate yourself and others on how algorithms and data collection shape our online experience. Let's strive for a more informed, open, and connected world. 🌍💬 #EchoChamber #DataCollection #DigitalLiteracy #StayInformed #BreakTheBubble #diversityatwork

Unlocking human potential is the ultimate source of competitive advantage in the cyber-physical age and the organizations that flourish in this age will be those that can harness human potential. Society has moved into an era where machine learning and exponential technology are taking organisations forward in ways not seen before. Most functions or departments are adopting technology and people are getting more skilled at using digital data To understand this and more, join us during the 27th Annual National HRM Conference from 23rd - 27th October 2023 at Sawela Lodges, Naivasha. Book Here: https://lnkd.in/dxK3X6hD

Hello digital people. So, the story goes like this: I am doing the ultimate PhD about human/computer interaction, where I will go deep on digital exclusion, the digital citizen and finding all the reasons why people are not adhering to digital tools and systems. For this, I will deliver 2,000 surveys to organisations in Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead and I will be asking them to give the surveys to their users. No, this is not 'just' another survey. I want to find if there are groups that face obstacles, if is it more about areas, is it about age, financial issues? The results will be published, will be part of my PhD and, hopefully, the new elected Mayor for the Combined Authority and all the mighty brains, could use the information to help narrowing this damned digital gap. For the next 3 months, I will be distributing surveys, collecting surveys and analysing data. Are you interested in contributing? Do you have an organisation and could help me with this distribution? Would you be able to share a link for a survey online? Please let me know, and, if you have suggestions of people or organisations that I should contact, please let me know. Thank you very much!

Big data significantly impacts businesses, presenting both opportunities and challenges. 📊 The abundance of data generated from various sources offers opportunities for organizations to gain valuable insights and drive innovation. Big data enables businesses to understand customer behavior, personalize experiences, optimize operations, and develop targeted marketing strategies. 🔍 However, big data also poses challenges, such as data privacy and security concerns, data quality and reliability issues, and the need for advanced analytical capabilities. Overall, harnessing the power of big data requires organizations to invest in infrastructure, analytical capabilities while also addressing the associated challenges to unlock their full potential. 🚀 ------ Schedule Your Strategy Session: https://lnkd.in/diKZwp75 . . #RoadmapResearchGlobal #datainsights #datastrategy #research #dataservices #researchproject #customizedresearch #datafuture #datapower

Recall our 2017 study, acknowledged by MIT Technology Review for excellence. We used the Reduced Google Matrix to reveal hidden connections in global conflicts. Surprisingly, the insights we uncovered then are now making headlines. The complex dynamics we decoded are happening in real-time today. Data-driven analysis isn't magic; it sheds light on the truth. Dive deeper into our insights and join the discussion - arxiv: https://lnkd.in/dm_ue8a7 - doi: https://lnkd.in/dCnGEHu4

Our staff at the Office of Data and Innovation are proud to have worked collaboratively with our partners in the California Government Operations Agency, the California Department of Technology, the California Department of General Services, California Department of Human Resources (CalHR), California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) on an initial #GenAI report as directed by Governor Gavin Newsom's Executive Order. This was a multi-department sprint to develop and generate valuable feedback. WHAT’S IN THE REPORT:  -Provides a preliminary analysis of risks and high-risk use cases, while still reaping the economic and transformative benefits of GenAI; -Examines how the state could prioritize tools to expand program access, improve the speed of ongoing work, summarize and classify information, and utilize complex datasets, and highlights the importance of secure, controlled pilots in doing so;  -Highlights potential uses for improving accessibility to government services, including identifying groups that – for language barriers or other reasons – are disproportionately not accessing services for which they are eligible; -Describes the potential GenAI risks, noting that the issues must be addressed to ensure that Californians will collectively benefit from this technology. Read the report: https://t.co/RttLNUsGyE

I recently shared the challenges facing IT in the public sector, and some suggestions going forward. Thanks to Tom Allen for the interview. Check out the article below, #itleadership #CIO #lessonslearned #publicsector

Unlocking Insights: Elevate your research with the power of financial data! At Smart Data Foundry, we're transforming the research landscape by providing access to real, granular-level financial data. Traditional research methods rely on historical datasets, surveys, and focus groups, often yielding limited insights. Our ground-breaking partnerships with leading financial organisations enable us to share previously inaccessible data, catalysing research breakthroughs that challenge policies and shape future regulations. Our Smart Data Foundry Research Environment Safe Haven ensures the utmost security for sensitive data. Researchers gain access to a robust and secure research environment with deidentified data and end-to-end management. 🛡️✨ Empower your research with data-driven solutions that redefine possibilities. Uncover answers to complex challenges and join a vibrant research community committed to innovation. Discover how we are reshaping research by fusing data and insights. Learn more about our partnerships and services today! 🌐📈 #researchrevolution #datadriveninsights #researchers Edinburgh Innovations Edinburgh Futures Institute Data-Driven Innovation Initiative University of Edinburgh Business School The University of Edinburgh Magdalena Getler Oliver Berry