Data Mining (28)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2010
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room as a small site among friends soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.
- Kinolab
- 2010
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- 9 min
- Kinolab
- 2010
Facebook Origins and Control Over Photos
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room as a small site among friends soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.
With increased sophistication of hacking, are anyone’s photos ever private in a digital space? When personal photos are uploaded to digital platforms for one purpose, how can users ensure that they are not used for another purpose? Has Facebook truly evolved beyond its roots of using photos to make binary judgements about people, or will this “hot or not” program always be a part of its character? How are women in particular targeted and impacted by privacy of photos? How does this narrative highlight some of the problems with the use of Facebook today? How did Facebook’s “coolness,” along with its apparent lack of cost for use, help it corner markets and make unfathomable profits?
The Social Network: Opening Scene-
- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2013
At some point in the near future, Martha’s husband Ash dies in a car accident. In order to help Martha through the grieving process, her friend Sara gives Ash’s data to a company which can create an artificial intelligence program to simulate text and phone conversations between Martha and Ash. Through the chat bot, Ash essentially goes on living, as he is able to respond to Martha and grow as more memories are shared with the program.
- Kinolab
- 2013
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2013
Martha and Ash Part I: Digital Revival and Human Likeness in Software
At some point in the near future, Martha’s husband Ash dies in a car accident. In order to help Martha through the grieving process, her friend Sara gives Ash’s data to a company which can create an artificial intelligence program to simulate text and phone conversations between Martha and Ash. Through the chat bot, Ash essentially goes on living, as he is able to respond to Martha and grow as more memories are shared with the program.
How should programs like this be deployed? Who should be in charge of them? Do our online interactions abstract our entire personality? Could this be validly used for therapy purposes, or is any existence of such software dangerous? Is it ethical to provide such a tangible way of disconnecting from reality, and are these interactions truly all that different from something like social media interactions?
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- 10 min
- Quartz
- 2019
A comparison of surveillance systems in China and the US which target, and aid in the persecution of, ethnic minorities. Data on targeted people is tracked extensively and compiled into intuitive databases which can be abused by government organizations.
- Quartz
- 2019
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- 10 min
- Quartz
- 2019
China embraces its surveillance state. The US pretends it doesn’t have one
A comparison of surveillance systems in China and the US which target, and aid in the persecution of, ethnic minorities. Data on targeted people is tracked extensively and compiled into intuitive databases which can be abused by government organizations.
In what ways are the surveillance systems of the US and China similar? Should big tech companies be allowed to contract with the government on the scale that a company like Palantir did?
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- 5 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Dr. Ford, the park director, speaks to his employee Theresa about his hegemony over Westworld, and how he can rule it as a sort of empire thanks to the subservience of the robots and the data collected from guests.
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 5 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Stakeholders and Power in Digital Worlds
Westworld, a western-themed amusement park, is populated by realistic robotic creatures known as “hosts” that are designed in a lab and constantly updated to seem as real and organic as possible. Dr. Ford, the park director, speaks to his employee Theresa about his hegemony over Westworld, and how he can rule it as a sort of empire thanks to the subservience of the robots and the data collected from guests.
What is the relationship between the human ‘maker’ and AI? Do AI-based theme parks work on a similar business models as other theme parks, or does the ‘creator’ have more power? What are some real-world connections you can make between the power dynamic which Ford has over his employees, guests, and AI and the power of technological corporations?
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- 2 min
- Kinolab
- 2014
Nathan, the creator of the advanced humanoid robot Ava, explains to his employee Caleb that big data collected through smartphone cameras and microphones aided his attempts to make Ava’s features more human.
- Kinolab
- 2014
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- 2 min
- Kinolab
- 2014
Big Data and its Reflection of Humanity
Nathan, the creator of the advanced humanoid robot Ava, explains to his employee Caleb that big data collected through smartphone cameras and microphones aided his attempts to make Ava’s features more human.
How can our digital consumer and search data be mined by tech companies for research? Does such a wide data net capture everything necessary about humanity? How does Google search mirror the human seeking of knowledge in digital form?
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- 20 min
- Cory Doctorow
- 2014
Short Story outlining the breakdown of economic systems and the invasion of privacy when a private company becomes an arm of the state.
- Cory Doctorow
- 2014
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- 20 min
- Cory Doctorow
- 2014
Scroogled
Short Story outlining the breakdown of economic systems and the invasion of privacy when a private company becomes an arm of the state.
How realistic does this story seem to you? Who gains the most power from digital information? What incentives do corporations have to protect user privacy? What incentives do users have to protect their own privacy?