More than algorithms: what computer scientists should know about technology and society

Russia meddles in our politics through fake news delivered on social media. Unknown hackers steal $81 million by fooling electronic banking protocols. Online image search returns horribly stereotyped outcomes for three black teenagers and three white teenagers. In spite of the do-gooder rhetoric of Silicon Valley, recent headline news suggests that technology can enable just as much societal harm as benefit. In fact, even after a golden age of digital innovation in the United States, poverty persists, inequality is rising, and politics is more polarized than ever. What, then, should we as computer scientists do, if we genuinely want to contribute to a better world? This talk proposes a simple Law of Amplification that explains technologyu0027s impact on society. Its corollaries offer recommendations for computer science researchers and educators.