As a techie in the academic / nonprofit sector, I love reading about how technology can be used for horrible and unjust outcomes. It gives a sense of perspective so I can do a better job of avoiding such outcomes in my own work. So, I just got this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Automating-Inequality-High-Tech-Profile-Police-ebook/dp/B0739MF8VF/
@sonicbooming That's a frightening article. Just diving in now...
@ekansa A few years ago I was having a conversation with people about the future and our expectations of technology. I'll never forget this quote:
“Unless you're over 60, you weren't promised flying cars. You were promised an oppressive cyberpunk dystopia. Here you go.”
@sonicbooming Charlie Stross (a great Sci-Fi author) says similarly in this lecture: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2018/01/dude-you-broke-the-future.html
I wish I knew how to reduce the probability of lock-in to a dystopian Hell.
@ekansa Ha. I love Charlie Stross. It might even have been him. The conversation I refer to was on metafilter.com, of which he's a semi-active member. :)
@sonicbooming Oh that's interesting. Yep, makes sense that he'd be part of that kind of conversation.
@sonicbooming Cool. I'll dive in when I get a chance. Also, economic anthropologist (and anarchist / Occupy theorist) David Graeber wrote about the lack of flying cars:
https://thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit
Stross reads Graeber. "Neptune's Brood" was all about debt (in a space opera setting).
@ekansa ooh, cool share, thanks.
@ekansa Hehe, this was the thread: https://www.metafilter.com/139757/Why-We-Dont-Have-Flying-Cars#5578611