- 23/03/2018
- Categories: Commentaries, Press Release
Yogyakarta, 22 March 2018 – The impact of digital technology on various aspects of our society is undeniable. Center for Digital Society (CfDS) UGM presents its ‘Digital Future Discussion’ (Diffusion) event to discuss the technology development and its challenges to our future on Thursday (22/3).
China’s Big Governance Ethical Dilemma
The massive number of data produced by the society in digital era signs the need for new data management, big data analysis. Through this process, new sets of information can be created and explored for the development of data-based policies, from health trend prediction to criminal activities prediction. The data is also utilized by China for their new program called Social Credit System (SCS) in 2020.
Essentially, through this program, the government can monitor citizen’s activity and behavior online and analyze it to produce Citizen Score which will be sorted publicly to determine the rights of individuals related to public commodities, such as employment, housing, education, and so on.
Datu Damarjiwo, CfDS research assistant, explained how this program not only emphasizes government relationships with the community, but will also impact on community relationships at the micro level.
“With the government’s naming-and-shaming system, people will tend to associate with civil societies and avoid community groups with bad scores, resulting in social exclusion. This program further magnifies government control in regulating citizen behavior.”
3D Printing: Opportunity and Challenge
3D Printing is one of the technologies that are currently attracting a lot of attention. Similar to most printers, 3D Printing can work to ‘print’ and produce work in the three-dimensional form. Products manufactured using 3D Printers are not just limited to inanimate objects. Now, it is also used in many other fields and purposes, such as creating medical implants and bone to the manufacturing food with complicated designs.
“However, 3D Printing has the potential to cause copyright infringement issues. With the ability to duplicate items with just one click and designs available online, 3D Printing products can allude to three main aspects of intellectual property rights, i.e., design, the patent for sculpture or architecture, and digital piracy from illegal distribution of copyrighted work designs,” CfDS researcher Faiz Rahman explained.
Furthermore, 3D Printing also increases the risk for consumers in avoiding fake products which become easily and efficiently to produce and to distribute. 3D Printing may also be used to create plastic gun which cannot be detected by the x-ray machine, increasing the potential transnational terrorism and criminal acts.
“3D Printing is a very complex issue, not only regarding commerciality but also the possibility of technology used and intended for criminal activity. As an educated human being, we should be more responsible in our use of technology. The government itself must also start to see the gaps in technology that can accommodate criminal acts and close them by creating proper regulation and enforcing them,” Faiz continued.
Future Technology in Industry
Discussion about the development of future technology and their impacts on the industry have been a hot topic for many years. The book titled “The Industries of The Future” written by Alec Ross discussed the two sides of this phenomenon, the opportunities and challenges we face in the era of digital disruption.
In his book, Ross explained how technology would push the displacement of conventional manufacture workforce. However, this phenomenon will also trigger the creation of new jobs which signs the change in the dynamics of global employment. In the context of globalization, emerging economy such as Indonesia and India have the freedom and flexibility which makes it possible for them to gain benefits through this transformation. On the other side, Western countries will be left behind because their abilities to adapt will be limited by the conventional institutions and traditions.
Habibah Hermanadi, CfDS research associate, added that this book does not picture where future technology is everything that matters.
“Ross offers the idea where humanity developed through family will be a valuable asset for our society in facing the challenges from digital disruption. Strategic steps in addressing inequality problems, such as inclusive education, should also be done in conjunction with technology development to ensure a peaceful transition process.”
