Is There A Place In Human Consciousness Where Surveillance Cannot Go? (2024)

Ellen Pearlman, PhD

2022, HumaniTies and Artificial Intelligence

When it comes to European policymaking, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission plays an important role. It provides EU policy makers with robust data, scientifically sound evidence and research results, allowing EU policies toachieve the impact that they have been designed for. Better informed policies are keyto ensure that Europe becomes a better place - for humans, for animals, for the environment, for the entire complex ecosystem that defines our lives.Clearly, within the many challenges this entails, understanding how scientific discoveries, that so far we have only seen in science fiction movies, can shape our present and our future, is one of the most difficult tasks. In the recent times, ArtificialIntelligence and the digital revolution that leads our societies to a complete digitaltransformation are good examples. The digital revolution, in parallel with the green one, are the two sides of the so called twin transitions, that has the main goal of making our societies more sustainable, resilient, open, transparent and prosperous. Understanding the implications the digital transformation in general, and Artificial Intelligence in particular, have for our societies and democracies is a task of tall order. Therefore the main reason for the JRC to initiate fast track research and to actively contribute to the agenda setting of the current Commission, is to support shaping one of its main priorities: A Europe fit for the digital age. The JRC’s Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS) spearheaded research on the impact of machine intelligence on human behaviour and investigated the benefits of the digital transformation for the governance of human societies. This complemented already ongoing research in the fields of social and economic impact of digital transformation.

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Is There A Place In Human Consciousness Where Surveillance Cannot Go? (2024)

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