Silicon Flatirons Annual Conference: Technology Optimism and Pessimism

The 2020 Silicon Flatirons flagship conference will examine optimism and pessimism in the tech sector. In the past decades, technological advances across fields such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications, social media, health care, data analysis, and media have brought dramatic transformations for society. Many of these advances have been positive: increasing transparency, improving health outcomes, spreading knowledge and information, and increasing connectivity. At the same time, many technological transformations have introduced novel and worrisome societal problems, ranging from social isolation, socioeconomic inequality, accessibility, the vulnerability of voting systems, political polarization, environmental impacts, and decreased privacy.

Some observers of these changes call for celebration, while others sound the alarm of concern. Both perspectives need to be taken seriously, but neither tells the full story. Our expert speakers will explore both the positive and negative impacts of the tech sector on individuals and society in an effort to reach a more nuanced appreciation of technological change and consider how we advance the positive impacts while mitigating the negative.

See the full agenda and register here.