past technology essay

The Evolution of Technology: Past, Present and Future

Technology has become an integral part of our lives. From smartphones to computers, these technologies have become indispensable, and we heavily rely on them. In a relatively short span of time, technology has rapidly advanced and now, many people cannot imagine life without it.

To fully understand the scope of this transformation, we must look at how technology has evolved and its significance.

Purpose Drives Technology Forward

All technologies serve a purpose. For instance, search engines were created to organize vast amounts of online data. Each upgrade builds upon existing technologies, leading to continuous improvement. However, this lightning-fast pace of technological evolution has made it challenging for many to keep up.

Admittedly, summarizing the vast scope of technology in a single blog post is nearly impossible. That said, here's a brief glimpse into the rapid evolution of the Internet and technology in recent years.

The Past: World, Meet the Internet

Looking back to the 1990s, the Internet was a new commodity that gradually became accessible to households and businesses. For those living in that era, the nostalgic sound of the painfully slow dial-up signal connecting to the Internet remains a vivid memory (EEEE-AAAAAHH!!!!).

Fortunately, as the Internet gained popularity, technology advanced, eliminating the need for phone lines and providing faster connections to the World Wide Web. This transformation allowed more people to experience the benefits of the Internet and enjoy seamless online experiences.

Websites and Blogging Are Born

Websites evolved right alongside the Internet. Suddenly, everyone had a GeoCities or Tripod website dedicated to themselves. In their early stages, websites were simple in both function and design. This was also when the blogging craze began to gain popularity with the introduction of " weblogs " (later shortened to "blogs"). Remember Xanga? If only we had known then what we know now.

Floppy Discs: The Real-Life Save Icon

After a few years, the process of sharing information became increasingly convenient. Instead of relying on floppy discs or CD-ROMs, people began exchanging documents through email or storing large files on USB sticks or flash drives. This shift made the transfer of data much more efficient and streamlined.

As new technologies emerged, they built upon one another, resulting in more advanced, efficient, and powerful innovations. This rapid development of the Internet has profoundly impacted the way we live, work, and function in today's world.

The Present: Snaps, Chats, and Double Taps

In just a decade's time, access to the Internet has become almost universal, surpassing the days of dial-up. Nowadays, it is a rare occurrence to find a coffee shop, library, or any place of business without the convenience of Wi-Fi connectivity. Even if Wi-Fi is out of reach, most individuals effortlessly connect to the Internet using their smartphones and personal hotspots through cellular data connections.

Today, the Internet connects people and businesses all around the world. With a simple click, you can video call someone on the other side of the globe, order groceries to be delivered to your doorstep, or even attend classes from prestigious universities without leaving your home. The possibilities seem endless.

There’s an App for That

With this anywhere/anytime access to the Internet, businesses have developed web applications to cater to the common needs of consumers. These applications can do everything from tracking food portions to sending massive amounts of information in a click of a button.  In a world that’s always on the go, these apps provide convenience and efficiency.

The Evolution and Revolution of Communication

Communication has undergone a remarkable evolution. Remember the days of face-to-face conversations? Handwritten letters? Waiting by the phone—the kind with a cord? Technology continuously reshapes how we connect. Today, the most striking difference online is the ability to be personable in an impersonal environment. Constant connection is the name of the game. And with connection comes instant availability. Bluetooth connections, talk-to-text, messaging apps in every form. Whether you're driving, in meetings, or at home, connections are everywhere.

Social Media: Connecting People Like Never Before 

We've watched texting evolve from the simple exchange of text-only messages to the emergence of visual elements, thanks to the widespread popularity of gifs, memes, emojis, and Bitmojis. In fact, with the rise of short-form video sharing, traditional text is becoming more concise (think Snapchat, Instagram Stories and Reels, Facebook Stories, etc.) and accompanied by shorthand abbreviations.

Social media platforms have taken over our lives. As of July 2023, as many as 4.88 billion people, or 59.9% of the world’s population, use social media, according to a Statista study . Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok are just a few examples of how people stay connected in today's world. These platforms allow people to share their thoughts, pictures, and videos with friends and followers, making the world a smaller place. People can now connect with others who share similar interests, creating online communities and networks. Although superficial at times, this form of communication helps people stay closer to each other when they would have otherwise lost contact or never met.

Face to Face (Virtually Speaking)

Face-to-face conversations via technology are resurfacing, though, and even strengthening, thanks to higher-quality video and streaming capabilities (enter Skype, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, live streaming, etc.). With more people engaging in web/video conferencing online, geographic barriers that once hindered communication were torn down. Instead, companies can engage with consumers in a more human manner, people can talk to other people face-to-face without the need for costly travel, and reaching out to people all over the world is faster and easier.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the landscape of video-calling, making it a new norm both in the workplace and at home. As remote work and virtual meetings became necessary for safety, video-calling platforms became essential tools for collaboration and communication. From team meetings to virtual happy hours, video-calling provided a lifeline for maintaining connections in a time of physical distancing. Even with the pandemic in the rearview, the convenience and efficiency of video-calling remains a valuable way to stay connected in a fast-paced, globalized society.

Cutting the Cord: The Era of Video Streaming

Remember when Netflix was a primarily a DVD delivery company, sending your favorite movies through the mail? Back before binge-watching became our new normal.

Today, more and more people are ditching traditional cable , opting for digital streaming and video services like Netflix, YouTube TV, and Hulu. Big brands are trying to keep up and compete, doing their best to one-up each other with original content, availability, and delivery channels (e.g., Apple TV+, Disney Plus, Prime Video, etc.). From our favorite TV shows to live sports events, streaming services have become the go-to for entertainment.

The rise of streaming has also changed the landscape for advertisers. With more people opting out of traditional cable and satellite television, businesses have shifted their focus towards digital advertising on streaming platforms. This allows them to reach a wider audience and target specific demographics with precision.

User-generated content is also a force to acknowledge. Thanks to streaming options like Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and TikTok Live, individuals and businesses can broadcast their own videos and content.  This has made it possible for anyone to create their own brand and have a platform to showcase their talents, ideas, and thoughts.

Today’s Tech Forecast: iCloud Days Ahead

Cloud-based services have revolutionized the way people and companies operate. Instead of relying on a single device, more and more businesses are storing everything online. This shift is transforming traditional office environments and reshaping how people interact with companies. The days of flash drives are numbered, thanks to the prevalence of cloud storage options like iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and FTP sites.

With an array of new technologies enabling seamless access to information and fostering connections, the future of technological developments looks incredibly promising.

The Future: Emerging Trends on the Horizon

As existing technologies continue to advance and integrate, both consumers and businesses can anticipate a wealth of opportunities with future technology. The pace of technological innovation will accelerate, enabling greater efficiency and productivity in our work. While we can't predict the future with certainty, we can speculate on the evolution of technology based on emerging media and current trends. Here are a few key trends to keep an eye on in the years to come.

Smart is the New Sexy

Smart technology has already seeped into our daily lives through the use of voice assistants, smart home devices, and wearable tech. With the continuous development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, we can expect to see smarter and more intuitive devices in our households. These advancements will not only provide convenience but also enhance safety and security.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Take Center Stage

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have been slowly gaining traction in various industries, but their full potential is yet to be realized. From gaming and entertainment to education, training, and healthcare, AR/VR technology has the power to completely change the way we interact with our environment. As these technologies become more accessible and affordable, we can expect to see a surge in their use and application.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is all about connecting everyday objects through the Internet. This tech has already made its mark in various gadgets, from smart appliances to cars and wearable fitness trackers. But that's just the beginning. As IoT keeps evolving and merging with other tech, it's poised to revolutionize our daily routines.

Imagine a world where your car alerts you to traffic jams, or your alarm clock tells you your coffee's brewing. That's the IoT magic, blurring the line between the physical and virtual realms. It's like living in a sci-fi movie, with smart speakers, homes, and cars leading the charge.

Think of IoT as a massive network of devices—gadgets, vehicles, home appliances, you name it—all linked up and sharing data. The number of IoT-connected devices worldwide is forecast to almost double from 15.1 billion in 2020 to more than 29 billion IoT devices in 2030. This isn't some distant future; it's happening now, or at least, it's right around the corner.

In short, IoT isn't just a buzzword; it's a game-changer that's already transforming our lives and shaping the future.

Working Remotely: The New Norm

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented transformation in our workforce. Technology played a pivotal role in making remote work the new norm. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet bridged the physical gap, turning homes into virtual boardrooms and connecting teams across the globe. Collaborative tools such as Slack and Trello ensured seamless coordination, even when separated by miles.

This shift has blurred the boundaries between home and office, with employees setting up home offices equipped with high-speed internet and ergonomic chairs. Remote work has not only freed us from the daily commute but also provided flexible schedules and an improved work-life balance.

For businesses, remote work has presented cost-saving opportunities by reducing overhead costs associated with physical offices and granting access to a global talent pool. Looking ahead, remote work is poised to remain a permanent fixture in our work landscape, reshaping our understanding of the workplace and how we harmonize work and life. It serves as yet another testament to the profound impact of technology on our lives.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) may sound complex, but in simpler terms, it involves teaching computers to think and learn like humans. Over time, technological advancements have propelled AI forward, making it smarter and more capable. Think of AI as the brain behind tools like ChatGPT, which can chat with you like a human, or chatbots that assist with customer service inquiries. These AI-driven creations are just the beginning, showing how machines are learning to understand and interact with us.

The latest leap in AI innovation comes in the form of generative AI, which uses a cutting-edge model called Stable Diffusion to create photorealistic images, animations, and even videos from text and image prompts. For instance, DALL-E 2 can create realistic images and artwork from natural language prompts, blurring the line between human and machine creativity. In the video domain, Next Diffusion stands out, enabling the manipulation of existing video footage to craft entirely new content. Whether it's background inpainting, face swapping, or the creation of hyper-realistic individuals, the possibilities in the realm of video editing are nothing short of remarkable.

AI's influence echoes across industries, transforming how businesses operate. In customer service, AI-powered chatbots provide quick, personalized responses. Supply chain management relies on AI to predict trends and streamline logistics. In healthcare, AI analyzes complex medical data for disease predictions and treatments. Undoubtedly, AI is a game-changer, refining how businesses function and interact with the world.

As we look to the future, AI's trajectory is poised for astonishing heights, promising more personalized content and transformative breakthroughs in healthcare and scientific discovery. AI is our bridge to a future where technology becomes astoundingly human-like in its understanding and abilities.

Why Bother Keeping Up with Technology?

It's a valid question. Technology is in a constant state of flux, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming to keep up with an ever-moving target. But remember, staying abreast of technological advancements adds value to your business .

Remaining up to date ensures that you don't miss out on opportunities, become irrelevant, or lag behind your competitors. Remember Kodak? They taught us a valuable lesson: don't fear embracing change.

Here are a few effective strategies to stay informed and keep pace:

• Follow industry blogs (including ours !)
• Listen to industry thought leaders
• Engage with relevant topics on social media
• Join online and in-person groups
• Tune in to tech-focused podcasts
• Participate in tech forums
• Subscribe to pertinent e-Newsletters
• Utilize Google alerts

By implementing these approaches, you can navigate the ever-changing tech landscape with confidence and seize the advantages it presents.

The Final Frontier

In a world where technology knows no bounds, space may not be the final frontier we once imagined. Instead, technology has become its own frontier, an ever-evolving force that reshapes our world daily. With every step we take into the realm of technology, we're forging new habits and discovering novel ways of collaborating and thriving.

While the future remains uncertain, one thing is clear: we firmly believe in harnessing the incredible potential of technology to craft personalized solutions. The power of technology lies not just in its innovation, but in its ability to transform lives and businesses alike.

Ready to embark on your own technological journey? Contact DiscoverTec today and let us guide your business towards harnessing the limitless possibilities of technology.

Published on: October 13, 2023 by Donny Lamey, CEO

Technology of the Past and Present

Living in a rapidly changing world can be challenging, but it also provides numerous opportunities to examine the differences between the lifestyles of people living in the past and present. They are primarily related to technological development since it defines types and quality of communication of any kind. In this way, the Internet and social media shape our mindsets and the perceptions of life goals that we obtain while interacting with others. Moreover, they define the degree of trust in relationships and the number of time people spends together.

Life in the past seems to be more favorable in terms of meaningful connections and focusing on a limited number of people. Due to the lack of opportunities to contact another person any time, day or night, our parents and grandparents valued their relationships more than we do. As for mass media, this source of information was more reliable and, therefore, trusted. The lack of specific opportunities, such as the Internet and other modern technologies, did not prevent people from being sociable. However, it definitely reduced the level of stress resulting from the continuous comparison of oneself with others.

The present-day world with its limitless opportunities for socialization does not improve its quality. Most interactions do not contribute to one’s sense of belonging to the community or society, and they result in the emergence of depression and other mental health issues. People tend to be jealous of others’ successes and compare themselves with those who seem to be luckier than others. Hence, the principal effects of current socialization methods on types and quality of social interactions related to the general worsening of communication and the replacement of meaningful connections by numerous contacts.

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Feb 13, 2023

200-500 Word Example Essays about Technology

Got an essay assignment about technology check out these examples to inspire you.

Technology is a rapidly evolving field that has completely changed the way we live, work, and interact with one another. Technology has profoundly impacted our daily lives, from how we communicate with friends and family to how we access information and complete tasks. As a result, it's no surprise that technology is a popular topic for students writing essays.

But writing a technology essay can be challenging, especially for those needing more time or help with writer's block. This is where Jenni.ai comes in. Jenni.ai is an innovative AI tool explicitly designed for students who need help writing essays. With Jenni.ai, students can quickly and easily generate essays on various topics, including technology.

This blog post aims to provide readers with various example essays on technology, all generated by Jenni.ai. These essays will be a valuable resource for students looking for inspiration or guidance as they work on their essays. By reading through these example essays, students can better understand how technology can be approached and discussed in an essay.

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The Impact of Technology on Society and Culture

Introduction:.

Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives and has dramatically impacted how we interact, communicate, and carry out various activities. Technological advancements have brought positive and negative changes to society and culture. In this article, we will explore the impact of technology on society and culture and how it has influenced different aspects of our lives.

Positive impact on communication:

Technology has dramatically improved communication and made it easier for people to connect from anywhere in the world. Social media platforms, instant messaging, and video conferencing have brought people closer, bridging geographical distances and cultural differences. This has made it easier for people to share information, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects.

Positive impact on education:

Students and instructors now have access to a multitude of knowledge and resources because of the effect of technology on education . Students may now study at their speed and from any location thanks to online learning platforms, educational applications, and digital textbooks.

Negative impact on critical thinking and creativity:

Technological advancements have resulted in a reduction in critical thinking and creativity. With so much information at our fingertips, individuals have become more passive in their learning, relying on the internet for solutions rather than logic and inventiveness. As a result, independent thinking and problem-solving abilities have declined.

Positive impact on entertainment:

Technology has transformed how we access and consume entertainment. People may now access a wide range of entertainment alternatives from the comfort of their own homes thanks to streaming services, gaming platforms, and online content makers. The entertainment business has entered a new age of creativity and invention as a result of this.

Negative impact on attention span:

However, the continual bombardment of information and technological stimulation has also reduced attention span and the capacity to focus. People are easily distracted and need help focusing on a single activity for a long time. This has hampered productivity and the ability to accomplish duties.

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies has been one of the most significant technological developments of the past several decades. These cutting-edge technologies have the potential to alter several sectors of society, including commerce, industry, healthcare, and entertainment. 

As with any new and quickly advancing technology, AI and ML ethics must be carefully studied. The usage of these technologies presents significant concerns around privacy, accountability, and command. As the use of AI and ML grows more ubiquitous, we must assess their possible influence on society and investigate the ethical issues that must be taken into account as these technologies continue to develop.

What are Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning?

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence in machines designed to think and act like humans. Machine learning is a subfield of AI that enables computers to learn from data and improve their performance over time without being explicitly programmed.

The impact of AI and ML on Society

The use of AI and ML in various industries, such as healthcare, finance, and retail, has brought many benefits. For example, AI-powered medical diagnosis systems can identify diseases faster and more accurately than human doctors. However, there are also concerns about job displacement and the potential for AI to perpetuate societal biases.

The Ethical Considerations of AI and ML

A. Bias in AI algorithms

One of the critical ethical concerns about AI and ML is the potential for algorithms to perpetuate existing biases. This can occur if the data used to train these algorithms reflects the preferences of the people who created it. As a result, AI systems can perpetuate these biases and discriminate against certain groups of people.

B. Responsibility for AI-generated decisions

Another ethical concern is the responsibility for decisions made by AI systems. For example, who is responsible for the damage if a self-driving car causes an accident? The manufacturer of the vehicle, the software developer, or the AI algorithm itself?

C. The potential for misuse of AI and ML

AI and ML can also be used for malicious purposes, such as cyberattacks and misinformation. The need for more regulation and oversight in developing and using these technologies makes it difficult to prevent misuse.

The developments in AI and ML have given numerous benefits to humanity, but they also present significant ethical concerns that must be addressed. We must assess the repercussions of new technologies on society, implement methods to limit the associated dangers, and guarantee that they are utilized for the greater good. As AI and ML continue to play an ever-increasing role in our daily lives, we must engage in an open and frank discussion regarding their ethics.

The Future of Work And Automation

Rapid technological breakthroughs in recent years have brought about considerable changes in our way of life and work. Concerns regarding the influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning on the future of work and employment have increased alongside the development of these technologies. This article will examine the possible advantages and disadvantages of automation and its influence on the labor market, employees, and the economy.

The Advantages of Automation

Automation in the workplace offers various benefits, including higher efficiency and production, fewer mistakes, and enhanced precision. Automated processes may accomplish repetitive jobs quickly and precisely, allowing employees to concentrate on more complex and creative activities. Additionally, automation may save organizations money since it removes the need to pay for labor and minimizes the danger of workplace accidents.

The Potential Disadvantages of Automation

However, automation has significant disadvantages, including job loss and income stagnation. As robots and computers replace human labor in particular industries, there is a danger that many workers may lose their jobs, resulting in higher unemployment and more significant economic disparity. Moreover, if automation is not adequately regulated and managed, it might lead to stagnant wages and a deterioration in employees' standard of life.

The Future of Work and Automation

Despite these difficulties, automation will likely influence how labor is done. As a result, firms, employees, and governments must take early measures to solve possible issues and reap the rewards of automation. This might entail funding worker retraining programs, enhancing education and skill development, and implementing regulations that support equality and justice at work.

IV. The Need for Ethical Considerations

We must consider the ethical ramifications of automation and its effects on society as technology develops. The impact on employees and their rights, possible hazards to privacy and security, and the duty of corporations and governments to ensure that automation is utilized responsibly and ethically are all factors to be taken into account.

Conclusion:

To summarise, the future of employment and automation will most certainly be defined by a complex interaction of technological advances, economic trends, and cultural ideals. All stakeholders must work together to handle the problems and possibilities presented by automation and ensure that technology is employed to benefit society as a whole.

The Role of Technology in Education

Introduction.

Nearly every part of our lives has been transformed by technology, and education is no different. Today's students have greater access to knowledge, opportunities, and resources than ever before, and technology is becoming a more significant part of their educational experience. Technology is transforming how we think about education and creating new opportunities for learners of all ages, from online courses and virtual classrooms to instructional applications and augmented reality.

Technology's Benefits for Education

The capacity to tailor learning is one of technology's most significant benefits in education. Students may customize their education to meet their unique needs and interests since they can access online information and tools. 

For instance, people can enroll in online classes on topics they are interested in, get tailored feedback on their work, and engage in virtual discussions with peers and subject matter experts worldwide. As a result, pupils are better able to acquire and develop the abilities and information necessary for success.

Challenges and Concerns

Despite the numerous advantages of technology in education, there are also obstacles and considerations to consider. One issue is the growing reliance on technology and the possibility that pupils would become overly dependent on it. This might result in a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, as students may become passive learners who only follow instructions and rely on technology to complete their assignments.

Another obstacle is the digital divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not. This division can exacerbate the achievement gap between pupils and produce uneven educational and professional growth chances. To reduce these consequences, all students must have access to the technology and resources necessary for success.

In conclusion, technology is rapidly becoming an integral part of the classroom experience and has the potential to alter the way we learn radically. 

Technology can help students flourish and realize their full potential by giving them access to individualized instruction, tools, and opportunities. While the benefits of technology in the classroom are undeniable, it's crucial to be mindful of the risks and take precautions to guarantee that all kids have access to the tools they need to thrive.

The Influence of Technology On Personal Relationships And Communication 

Technological advancements have profoundly altered how individuals connect and exchange information. It has changed the world in many ways in only a few decades. Because of the rise of the internet and various social media sites, maintaining relationships with people from all walks of life is now simpler than ever. 

However, concerns about how these developments may affect interpersonal connections and dialogue are inevitable in an era of rapid technological growth. In this piece, we'll discuss how the prevalence of digital media has altered our interpersonal connections and the language we use to express ourselves.

Direct Effect on Direct Interaction:

The disruption of face-to-face communication is a particularly stark example of how technology has impacted human connections. The quality of interpersonal connections has suffered due to people's growing preference for digital over human communication. Technology has been demonstrated to reduce the usage of nonverbal signs such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and other indicators of emotional investment in the connection.

Positive Impact on Long-Distance Relationships:

Yet there are positives to be found as well. Long-distance relationships have also benefited from technological advancements. The development of technologies such as video conferencing, instant messaging, and social media has made it possible for individuals to keep in touch with distant loved ones. It has become simpler for individuals to stay in touch and feel connected despite geographical distance.

The Effects of Social Media on Personal Connections:

The widespread use of social media has had far-reaching consequences, especially on the quality of interpersonal interactions. Social media has positive and harmful effects on relationships since it allows people to keep in touch and share life's milestones.

Unfortunately, social media has made it all too easy to compare oneself to others, which may lead to emotions of jealousy and a general decline in confidence. Furthermore, social media might cause people to have inflated expectations of themselves and their relationships.

A Personal Perspective on the Intersection of Technology and Romance

Technological advancements have also altered physical touch and closeness. Virtual reality and other technologies have allowed people to feel physical contact and familiarity in a digital setting. This might be a promising breakthrough, but it has some potential downsides. 

Experts are concerned that people's growing dependence on technology for intimacy may lead to less time spent communicating face-to-face and less emphasis on physical contact, both of which are important for maintaining good relationships.

In conclusion, technological advancements have significantly affected the quality of interpersonal connections and the exchange of information. Even though technology has made it simpler to maintain personal relationships, it has chilled interpersonal interactions between people. 

Keeping tabs on how technology is changing our lives and making adjustments as necessary is essential as we move forward. Boundaries and prioritizing in-person conversation and physical touch in close relationships may help reduce the harm it causes.

The Security and Privacy Implications of Increased Technology Use and Data Collection

The fast development of technology over the past few decades has made its way into every aspect of our life. Technology has improved many facets of our life, from communication to commerce. However, significant privacy and security problems have emerged due to the broad adoption of technology. In this essay, we'll look at how the widespread use of technological solutions and the subsequent explosion in collected data affects our right to privacy and security.

Data Mining and Privacy Concerns

Risk of Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

The Widespread Use of Encryption and Other Safety Mechanisms

The Privacy and Security of the Future in a Globalized Information Age

Obtaining and Using Individual Information

The acquisition and use of private information is a significant cause for privacy alarm in the digital age. Data about their customers' online habits, interests, and personal information is a valuable commodity for many internet firms. Besides tailored advertising, this information may be used for other, less desirable things like identity theft or cyber assaults.

Moreover, many individuals need to be made aware of what data is being gathered from them or how it is being utilized because of the lack of transparency around gathering personal information. Privacy and data security have become increasingly contentious as a result.

Data breaches and other forms of cyber-attack pose a severe risk.

The risk of cyber assaults and data breaches is another big issue of worry. More people are using more devices, which means more opportunities for cybercriminals to steal private information like credit card numbers and other identifying data. This may cause monetary damages and harm one's reputation or identity.

Many high-profile data breaches have occurred in recent years, exposing the personal information of millions of individuals and raising serious concerns about the safety of this information. Companies and governments have responded to this problem by adopting new security methods like encryption and multi-factor authentication.

Many businesses now use encryption and other security measures to protect themselves from cybercriminals and data thieves. Encryption keeps sensitive information hidden by encoding it so that only those possessing the corresponding key can decipher it. This prevents private information like bank account numbers or social security numbers from falling into the wrong hands.

Firewalls, virus scanners, and two-factor authentication are all additional security precautions that may be used with encryption. While these safeguards do much to stave against cyber assaults, they are not entirely impregnable, and data breaches are still possible.

The Future of Privacy and Security in a Technologically Advanced World

There's little doubt that concerns about privacy and security will persist even as technology improves. There must be strict safeguards to secure people's private information as more and more of it is transferred and kept digitally. To achieve this goal, it may be necessary to implement novel technologies and heightened levels of protection and to revise the rules and regulations regulating the collection and storage of private information.

Individuals and businesses are understandably concerned about the security and privacy consequences of widespread technological use and data collecting. There are numerous obstacles to overcome in a society where technology plays an increasingly important role, from acquiring and using personal data to the risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches. Companies and governments must keep spending money on security measures and working to educate people about the significance of privacy and security if personal data is to remain safe.

In conclusion, technology has profoundly impacted virtually every aspect of our lives, including society and culture, ethics, work, education, personal relationships, and security and privacy. The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning has presented new ethical considerations, while automation is transforming the future of work. 

In education, technology has revolutionized the way we learn and access information. At the same time, our dependence on technology has brought new challenges in terms of personal relationships, communication, security, and privacy.

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Technology over the long run: zoom out to see how dramatically the world can change within a lifetime

It is easy to underestimate how much the world can change within a lifetime. considering how dramatically the world has changed can help us see how different the world could be in a few years or decades..

Technology can change the world in ways that are unimaginable until they happen. Switching on an electric light would have been unimaginable for our medieval ancestors. In their childhood, our grandparents would have struggled to imagine a world connected by smartphones and the Internet.

Similarly, it is hard for us to imagine the arrival of all those technologies that will fundamentally change the world we are used to.

We can remind ourselves that our own future might look very different from the world today by looking back at how rapidly technology has changed our world in the past. That’s what this article is about.

One insight I take away from this long-term perspective is how unusual our time is. Technological change was extremely slow in the past – the technologies that our ancestors got used to in their childhood were still central to their lives in their old age. In stark contrast to those days, we live in a time of extraordinarily fast technological change. For recent generations, it was common for technologies that were unimaginable in their youth to become common later in life.

The long-run perspective on technological change

The big visualization offers a long-term perspective on the history of technology. 1

The timeline begins at the center of the spiral. The first use of stone tools, 3.4 million years ago, marks the beginning of this history of technology. 2 Each turn of the spiral represents 200,000 years of history. It took 2.4 million years – 12 turns of the spiral – for our ancestors to control fire and use it for cooking. 3

To be able to visualize the inventions in the more recent past – the last 12,000 years – I had to unroll the spiral. I needed more space to be able to show when agriculture, writing, and the wheel were invented. During this period, technological change was faster, but it was still relatively slow: several thousand years passed between each of these three inventions.

From 1800 onwards, I stretched out the timeline even further to show the many major inventions that rapidly followed one after the other.

The long-term perspective that this chart provides makes it clear just how unusually fast technological change is in our time.

You can use this visualization to see how technology developed in particular domains. Follow, for example, the history of communication: from writing to paper, to the printing press, to the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, all the way to the Internet and smartphones.

Or follow the rapid development of human flight. In 1903, the Wright brothers took the first flight in human history (they were in the air for less than a minute), and just 66 years later, we landed on the moon. Many people saw both within their lifetimes: the first plane and the moon landing.

This large visualization also highlights the wide range of technology’s impact on our lives. It includes extraordinarily beneficial innovations, such as the vaccine that allowed humanity to eradicate smallpox , and it includes terrible innovations, like the nuclear bombs that endanger the lives of all of us .

What will the next decades bring?

The red timeline reaches up to the present and then continues in green into the future. Many children born today, even without further increases in life expectancy, will live well into the 22nd century.

New vaccines, progress in clean, low-carbon energy, better cancer treatments – a range of future innovations could very much improve our living conditions and the environment around us. But, as I argue in a series of articles , there is one technology that could even more profoundly change our world: artificial intelligence (AI).

One reason why artificial intelligence is such an important innovation is that intelligence is the main driver of innovation itself. This fast-paced technological change could speed up even more if it’s driven not only by humanity’s intelligence but also by artificial intelligence. If this happens, the change currently stretched out over decades might happen within a very brief time span of just a year. Possibly even faster. 4

I think AI technology could have a fundamentally transformative impact on our world. In many ways, it is already changing our world, as I documented in this companion article . As this technology becomes more capable in the years and decades to come, it can give immense power to those who control it (and it poses the risk that it could escape our control entirely).

Such systems might seem hard to imagine today, but AI technology is advancing quickly. Many AI experts believe there is a real chance that human-level artificial intelligence will be developed within the next decades, as I documented in this article .

Technology will continue to change the world – we should all make sure that it changes it for the better

What is familiar to us today – photography, the radio, antibiotics, the Internet, or the International Space Station circling our planet – was unimaginable to our ancestors just a few generations ago. If your great-great-great grandparents could spend a week with you, they would be blown away by your everyday life.

What I take away from this history is that I will likely see technologies in my lifetime that appear unimaginable to me today.

In addition to this trend towards increasingly rapid innovation, there is a second long-run trend. Technology has become increasingly powerful. While our ancestors wielded stone tools, we are building globe-spanning AI systems and technologies that can edit our genes.

Because of the immense power that technology gives those who control it, there is little that is as important as the question of which technologies get developed during our lifetimes. Therefore, I think it is a mistake to leave the question about the future of technology to the technologists. Which technologies are controlled by whom is one of the most important political questions of our time because of the enormous power these technologies convey to those who control them.

We all should strive to gain the knowledge we need to contribute to an intelligent debate about the world we want to live in. To a large part, this means gaining knowledge and wisdom on the question of which technologies we want.

Acknowledgments: I would like to thank my colleagues Hannah Ritchie, Bastian Herre, Natasha Ahuja, Edouard Mathieu, Daniel Bachler, Charlie Giattino, and Pablo Rosado for their helpful comments on drafts of this essay and the visualization. Thanks also to Lizka Vaintrob and Ben Clifford for the conversation that initiated this visualization.

Appendix: About the choice of visualization in this article

The recent speed of technological change makes it difficult to picture the history of technology in one visualization. When you visualize this development on a linear timeline, then most of the timeline is almost empty, while all the action is crammed into the right corner:

In my large visualization here, I tried to avoid this problem and instead show the long history of technology in a way that lets you see when each technological breakthrough happened and how, within the last millennia, there was a continuous acceleration of technological change.

The recent speed of technological change makes it difficult to picture the history of technology in one visualization. In the appendix, I show how this would look if it were linear.

It is, of course, difficult to assess when exactly the first stone tools were used.

The research by McPherron et al. (2010) suggested that it was at least 3.39 million years ago. This is based on two fossilized bones found in Dikika in Ethiopia, which showed “stone-tool cut marks for flesh removal and percussion marks for marrow access”. These marks were interpreted as being caused by meat consumption and provide the first evidence that one of our ancestors, Australopithecus afarensis, used stone tools.

The research by Harmand et al. (2015) provided evidence for stone tool use in today’s Kenya 3.3 million years ago.

References:

McPherron et al. (2010) – Evidence for stone-tool-assisted consumption of animal tissues before 3.39 million years ago at Dikika, Ethiopia . Published in Nature.

Harmand et al. (2015) – 3.3-million-year-old stone tools from Lomekwi 3, West Turkana, Kenya . Published in Nature.

Evidence for controlled fire use approximately 1 million years ago is provided by Berna et al. (2012) Microstratigraphic evidence of in situ fire in the Acheulean strata of Wonderwerk Cave, Northern Cape province, South Africa , published in PNAS.

The authors write: “The ability to control fire was a crucial turning point in human evolution, but the question of when hominins first developed this ability still remains. Here we show that micromorphological and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (mFTIR) analyses of intact sediments at the site of Wonderwerk Cave, Northern Cape province, South Africa, provide unambiguous evidence—in the form of burned bone and ashed plant remains—that burning took place in the cave during the early Acheulean occupation, approximately 1.0 Ma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the earliest secure evidence for burning in an archaeological context.”

This is what authors like Holden Karnofsky called ‘Process for Automating Scientific and Technological Advancement’ or PASTA. Some recent developments go in this direction: DeepMind’s AlphaFold helped to make progress on one of the large problems in biology, and they have also developed an AI system that finds new algorithms that are relevant to building a more powerful AI.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Impact of Technology — How Technology Has Changed Our Lives

How Technology Has Changed Our Lives

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Updated: 9 November, 2023

Words: 1130 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Hook examples for technology essay, technology essay example.

• A Digital Revolution: Enter the era of smartphones, AI, and the Internet of Things, where technology is the driving force. Join me as we explore how technology has transformed our lives and the profound impact it has on society.
• An Intriguing Quote: Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Let's delve into the magical world of modern technology and how it shapes our daily existence.
• The Paradox of Connectivity: Technology promises to connect us, yet it can also lead to isolation. Explore with me the paradox of our hyperconnected world and how it affects our relationships, both online and offline.
• The Impact on Work and Leisure: Discover how technology has revolutionized our work environments, blurring the lines between office and home. Together, we'll examine the changing landscape of leisure and entertainment in the digital age.
• Looking Ahead: As technology continues to advance, what lies on the horizon? Join me in discussing the future implications of emerging technologies and how they will further reshape our world in the years to come.

The Dark Side of Technological Advancement

• Increased Bullying
• Lack of Privacy
• Constant Distraction

Balancing Technology in Our Lives

Works cited.

• Anderson, M. (2018). The Effects of Technology on Teenagers. Verywell Family.
• Brown, B. W., & Bobkowski, P. S. (2011). Older and newer media: Patterns of use and effects on adolescents’ health and well-being. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 95-113.
• Calvillo, D. P., & Downey, R. G. (2010). Mobile phones and interruption in college classrooms: Instructors’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(2), 223-231.
• Clarke-Pearson, K., & O'Keeffe, G. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804.
• Livingstone, S., & Smith, P. K. (2014). Annual research review: Harms experienced by child users of online and mobile technologies: The nature, prevalence and management of sexual and aggressive risks in the digital age. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(6), 635-654.
• Oulasvirta, A., Rattenbury, T., Ma, L., & Raita, E. (2012). Habits make smartphone use more pervasive. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 16(1), 105-114.
• Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204-215.
• Rosen, L. D., Lim, A. F., Carrier, L. M., & Cheever, N. A. (2011). An empirical examination of the educational impact of text message-induced task switching in the classroom: Educational implications and strategies to enhance learning. Psicologia Educativa, 17(2), 163-177.
• Schulte, B. (2018). The human costs of bringing smartphones to every student. The Atlantic.
• Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among US adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3-17.

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Promises and Pitfalls of Technology

Politics and privacy, private-sector influence and big tech, state competition and conflict, author biography, how is technology changing the world, and how should the world change technology.

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Josephine Wolff; How Is Technology Changing the World, and How Should the World Change Technology?. Global Perspectives 1 February 2021; 2 (1): 27353. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/gp.2021.27353

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Technologies are becoming increasingly complicated and increasingly interconnected. Cars, airplanes, medical devices, financial transactions, and electricity systems all rely on more computer software than they ever have before, making them seem both harder to understand and, in some cases, harder to control. Government and corporate surveillance of individuals and information processing relies largely on digital technologies and artificial intelligence, and therefore involves less human-to-human contact than ever before and more opportunities for biases to be embedded and codified in our technological systems in ways we may not even be able to identify or recognize. Bioengineering advances are opening up new terrain for challenging philosophical, political, and economic questions regarding human-natural relations. Additionally, the management of these large and small devices and systems is increasingly done through the cloud, so that control over them is both very remote and removed from direct human or social control. The study of how to make technologies like artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things “explainable” has become its own area of research because it is so difficult to understand how they work or what is at fault when something goes wrong (Gunning and Aha 2019) .

This growing complexity makes it more difficult than ever—and more imperative than ever—for scholars to probe how technological advancements are altering life around the world in both positive and negative ways and what social, political, and legal tools are needed to help shape the development and design of technology in beneficial directions. This can seem like an impossible task in light of the rapid pace of technological change and the sense that its continued advancement is inevitable, but many countries around the world are only just beginning to take significant steps toward regulating computer technologies and are still in the process of radically rethinking the rules governing global data flows and exchange of technology across borders.

These are exciting times not just for technological development but also for technology policy—our technologies may be more advanced and complicated than ever but so, too, are our understandings of how they can best be leveraged, protected, and even constrained. The structures of technological systems as determined largely by government and institutional policies and those structures have tremendous implications for social organization and agency, ranging from open source, open systems that are highly distributed and decentralized, to those that are tightly controlled and closed, structured according to stricter and more hierarchical models. And just as our understanding of the governance of technology is developing in new and interesting ways, so, too, is our understanding of the social, cultural, environmental, and political dimensions of emerging technologies. We are realizing both the challenges and the importance of mapping out the full range of ways that technology is changing our society, what we want those changes to look like, and what tools we have to try to influence and guide those shifts.

Technology can be a source of tremendous optimism. It can help overcome some of the greatest challenges our society faces, including climate change, famine, and disease. For those who believe in the power of innovation and the promise of creative destruction to advance economic development and lead to better quality of life, technology is a vital economic driver (Schumpeter 1942) . But it can also be a tool of tremendous fear and oppression, embedding biases in automated decision-making processes and information-processing algorithms, exacerbating economic and social inequalities within and between countries to a staggering degree, or creating new weapons and avenues for attack unlike any we have had to face in the past. Scholars have even contended that the emergence of the term technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries marked a shift from viewing individual pieces of machinery as a means to achieving political and social progress to the more dangerous, or hazardous, view that larger-scale, more complex technological systems were a semiautonomous form of progress in and of themselves (Marx 2010) . More recently, technologists have sharply criticized what they view as a wave of new Luddites, people intent on slowing the development of technology and turning back the clock on innovation as a means of mitigating the societal impacts of technological change (Marlowe 1970) .

At the heart of fights over new technologies and their resulting global changes are often two conflicting visions of technology: a fundamentally optimistic one that believes humans use it as a tool to achieve greater goals, and a fundamentally pessimistic one that holds that technological systems have reached a point beyond our control. Technology philosophers have argued that neither of these views is wholly accurate and that a purely optimistic or pessimistic view of technology is insufficient to capture the nuances and complexity of our relationship to technology (Oberdiek and Tiles 1995) . Understanding technology and how we can make better decisions about designing, deploying, and refining it requires capturing that nuance and complexity through in-depth analysis of the impacts of different technological advancements and the ways they have played out in all their complicated and controversial messiness across the world.

These impacts are often unpredictable as technologies are adopted in new contexts and come to be used in ways that sometimes diverge significantly from the use cases envisioned by their designers. The internet, designed to help transmit information between computer networks, became a crucial vehicle for commerce, introducing unexpected avenues for crime and financial fraud. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, designed to connect friends and families through sharing photographs and life updates, became focal points of election controversies and political influence. Cryptocurrencies, originally intended as a means of decentralized digital cash, have become a significant environmental hazard as more and more computing resources are devoted to mining these forms of virtual money. One of the crucial challenges in this area is therefore recognizing, documenting, and even anticipating some of these unexpected consequences and providing mechanisms to technologists for how to think through the impacts of their work, as well as possible other paths to different outcomes (Verbeek 2006) . And just as technological innovations can cause unexpected harm, they can also bring about extraordinary benefits—new vaccines and medicines to address global pandemics and save thousands of lives, new sources of energy that can drastically reduce emissions and help combat climate change, new modes of education that can reach people who would otherwise have no access to schooling. Regulating technology therefore requires a careful balance of mitigating risks without overly restricting potentially beneficial innovations.

Nations around the world have taken very different approaches to governing emerging technologies and have adopted a range of different technologies themselves in pursuit of more modern governance structures and processes (Braman 2009) . In Europe, the precautionary principle has guided much more anticipatory regulation aimed at addressing the risks presented by technologies even before they are fully realized. For instance, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation focuses on the responsibilities of data controllers and processors to provide individuals with access to their data and information about how that data is being used not just as a means of addressing existing security and privacy threats, such as data breaches, but also to protect against future developments and uses of that data for artificial intelligence and automated decision-making purposes. In Germany, Technische Überwachungsvereine, or TÜVs, perform regular tests and inspections of technological systems to assess and minimize risks over time, as the tech landscape evolves. In the United States, by contrast, there is much greater reliance on litigation and liability regimes to address safety and security failings after-the-fact. These different approaches reflect not just the different legal and regulatory mechanisms and philosophies of different nations but also the different ways those nations prioritize rapid development of the technology industry versus safety, security, and individual control. Typically, governance innovations move much more slowly than technological innovations, and regulations can lag years, or even decades, behind the technologies they aim to govern.

In addition to this varied set of national regulatory approaches, a variety of international and nongovernmental organizations also contribute to the process of developing standards, rules, and norms for new technologies, including the International Organization for Standardization­ and the International Telecommunication Union. These multilateral and NGO actors play an especially important role in trying to define appropriate boundaries for the use of new technologies by governments as instruments of control for the state.

At the same time that policymakers are under scrutiny both for their decisions about how to regulate technology as well as their decisions about how and when to adopt technologies like facial recognition themselves, technology firms and designers have also come under increasing criticism. Growing recognition that the design of technologies can have far-reaching social and political implications means that there is more pressure on technologists to take into consideration the consequences of their decisions early on in the design process (Vincenti 1993; Winner 1980) . The question of how technologists should incorporate these social dimensions into their design and development processes is an old one, and debate on these issues dates back to the 1970s, but it remains an urgent and often overlooked part of the puzzle because so many of the supposedly systematic mechanisms for assessing the impacts of new technologies in both the private and public sectors are primarily bureaucratic, symbolic processes rather than carrying any real weight or influence.

Technologists are often ill-equipped or unwilling to respond to the sorts of social problems that their creations have—often unwittingly—exacerbated, and instead point to governments and lawmakers to address those problems (Zuckerberg 2019) . But governments often have few incentives to engage in this area. This is because setting clear standards and rules for an ever-evolving technological landscape can be extremely challenging, because enforcement of those rules can be a significant undertaking requiring considerable expertise, and because the tech sector is a major source of jobs and revenue for many countries that may fear losing those benefits if they constrain companies too much. This indicates not just a need for clearer incentives and better policies for both private- and public-sector entities but also a need for new mechanisms whereby the technology development and design process can be influenced and assessed by people with a wider range of experiences and expertise. If we want technologies to be designed with an eye to their impacts, who is responsible for predicting, measuring, and mitigating those impacts throughout the design process? Involving policymakers in that process in a more meaningful way will also require training them to have the analytic and technical capacity to more fully engage with technologists and understand more fully the implications of their decisions.

At the same time that tech companies seem unwilling or unable to rein in their creations, many also fear they wield too much power, in some cases all but replacing governments and international organizations in their ability to make decisions that affect millions of people worldwide and control access to information, platforms, and audiences (Kilovaty 2020) . Regulators around the world have begun considering whether some of these companies have become so powerful that they violate the tenets of antitrust laws, but it can be difficult for governments to identify exactly what those violations are, especially in the context of an industry where the largest players often provide their customers with free services. And the platforms and services developed by tech companies are often wielded most powerfully and dangerously not directly by their private-sector creators and operators but instead by states themselves for widespread misinformation campaigns that serve political purposes (Nye 2018) .

Since the largest private entities in the tech sector operate in many countries, they are often better poised to implement global changes to the technological ecosystem than individual states or regulatory bodies, creating new challenges to existing governance structures and hierarchies. Just as it can be challenging to provide oversight for government use of technologies, so, too, oversight of the biggest tech companies, which have more resources, reach, and power than many nations, can prove to be a daunting task. The rise of network forms of organization and the growing gig economy have added to these challenges, making it even harder for regulators to fully address the breadth of these companies’ operations (Powell 1990) . The private-public partnerships that have emerged around energy, transportation, medical, and cyber technologies further complicate this picture, blurring the line between the public and private sectors and raising critical questions about the role of each in providing critical infrastructure, health care, and security. How can and should private tech companies operating in these different sectors be governed, and what types of influence do they exert over regulators? How feasible are different policy proposals aimed at technological innovation, and what potential unintended consequences might they have?

Conflict between countries has also spilled over significantly into the private sector in recent years, most notably in the case of tensions between the United States and China over which technologies developed in each country will be permitted by the other and which will be purchased by other customers, outside those two countries. Countries competing to develop the best technology is not a new phenomenon, but the current conflicts have major international ramifications and will influence the infrastructure that is installed and used around the world for years to come. Untangling the different factors that feed into these tussles as well as whom they benefit and whom they leave at a disadvantage is crucial for understanding how governments can most effectively foster technological innovation and invention domestically as well as the global consequences of those efforts. As much of the world is forced to choose between buying technology from the United States or from China, how should we understand the long-term impacts of those choices and the options available to people in countries without robust domestic tech industries? Does the global spread of technologies help fuel further innovation in countries with smaller tech markets, or does it reinforce the dominance of the states that are already most prominent in this sector? How can research universities maintain global collaborations and research communities in light of these national competitions, and what role does government research and development spending play in fostering innovation within its own borders and worldwide? How should intellectual property protections evolve to meet the demands of the technology industry, and how can those protections be enforced globally?

These conflicts between countries sometimes appear to challenge the feasibility of truly global technologies and networks that operate across all countries through standardized protocols and design features. Organizations like the International Organization for Standardization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and many others have tried to harmonize these policies and protocols across different countries for years, but have met with limited success when it comes to resolving the issues of greatest tension and disagreement among nations. For technology to operate in a global environment, there is a need for a much greater degree of coordination among countries and the development of common standards and norms, but governments continue to struggle to agree not just on those norms themselves but even the appropriate venue and processes for developing them. Without greater global cooperation, is it possible to maintain a global network like the internet or to promote the spread of new technologies around the world to address challenges of sustainability? What might help incentivize that cooperation moving forward, and what could new structures and process for governance of global technologies look like? Why has the tech industry’s self-regulation culture persisted? Do the same traditional drivers for public policy, such as politics of harmonization and path dependency in policy-making, still sufficiently explain policy outcomes in this space? As new technologies and their applications spread across the globe in uneven ways, how and when do they create forces of change from unexpected places?

These are some of the questions that we hope to address in the Technology and Global Change section through articles that tackle new dimensions of the global landscape of designing, developing, deploying, and assessing new technologies to address major challenges the world faces. Understanding these processes requires synthesizing knowledge from a range of different fields, including sociology, political science, economics, and history, as well as technical fields such as engineering, climate science, and computer science. A crucial part of understanding how technology has created global change and, in turn, how global changes have influenced the development of new technologies is understanding the technologies themselves in all their richness and complexity—how they work, the limits of what they can do, what they were designed to do, how they are actually used. Just as technologies themselves are becoming more complicated, so are their embeddings and relationships to the larger social, political, and legal contexts in which they exist. Scholars across all disciplines are encouraged to join us in untangling those complexities.

Josephine Wolff is an associate professor of cybersecurity policy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Her book You’ll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches was published by MIT Press in 2018.

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How has technology changed - and changed us - in the past 20 years?

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• Since the dotcom bubble burst back in 2000, technology has radically transformed our societies and our daily lives.
• From smartphones to social media and healthcare, here's a brief history of the 21st century's technological revolution.

Just over 20 years ago, the dotcom bubble burst , causing the stocks of many tech firms to tumble. Some companies, like Amazon, quickly recovered their value – but many others were left in ruins. In the two decades since this crash, technology has advanced in many ways.

Many more people are online today than they were at the start of the millennium. Looking at broadband access, in 2000, just half of Americans had broadband access at home. Today, that number sits at more than 90% .

This broadband expansion was certainly not just an American phenomenon. Similar growth can be seen on a global scale; while less than 7% of the world was online in 2000, today over half the global population has access to the internet.

Similar trends can be seen in cellphone use. At the start of the 2000s, there were 740 million cell phone subscriptions worldwide. Two decades later, that number has surpassed 8 billion, meaning there are now more cellphones in the world than people

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At the same time, technology was also becoming more personal and portable. Apple sold its first iPod in 2001, and six years later it introduced the iPhone, which ushered in a new era of personal technology. These changes led to a world in which technology touches nearly everything we do.

Technology has changed major sectors over the past 20 years, including media, climate action and healthcare. The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers , which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, gives us insight how emerging tech leaders have influenced and responded to these changes.

Media and media consumption

The past 20 years have greatly shaped how and where we consume media. In the early 2000s, many tech firms were still focused on expanding communication for work through advanced bandwidth for video streaming and other media consumption that is common today.

Others followed the path of expanding media options beyond traditional outlets. Early Tech Pioneers such as PlanetOut did this by providing an outlet and alternative media source for LGBTQIA communities as more people got online.

Following on from these first new media options, new communities and alternative media came the massive growth of social media. In 2004 , fewer than 1 million people were on Myspace; Facebook had not even launched. By 2018, Facebook had more 2.26 billion users with other sites also growing to hundreds of millions of users.

While these new online communities and communication channels have offered great spaces for alternative voices, their increased use has also brought issues of increased disinformation and polarization.

Today, many tech start-ups are focused on preserving these online media spaces while also mitigating the disinformation which can come with them. Recently, some Tech Pioneers have also approached this issue, including TruePic – which focuses on photo identification – and Two Hat , which is developing AI-powered content moderation for social media.

Climate change and green tech

Many scientists today are looking to technology to lead us towards a carbon-neutral world. Though renewed attention is being given to climate change today, these efforts to find a solution through technology is not new. In 2001, green tech offered a new investment opportunity for tech investors after the crash, leading to a boom of investing in renewable energy start-ups including Bloom Energy , a Technology Pioneer in 2010.

In the past two decades, tech start-ups have only expanded their climate focus. Many today are focuses on initiatives far beyond clean energy to slow the impact of climate change.

Different start-ups, including Carbon Engineering and Climeworks from this year’s Technology Pioneers, have started to roll out carbon capture technology. These technologies remove CO2 from the air directly, enabling scientists to alleviate some of the damage from fossil fuels which have already been burned.

Another expanding area for young tech firms today is food systems innovation. Many firms, like Aleph Farms and Air Protein, are creating innovative meat and dairy alternatives that are much greener than their traditional counterparts.

Biotech and healthcare

The early 2000s also saw the culmination of a biotech boom that had started in the mid-1990s. Many firms focused on advancing biotechnologies through enhanced tech research.

An early Technology Pioneer, Actelion Pharmaceuticals was one of these companies. Actelion’s tech researched the single layer of cells separating every blood vessel from the blood stream. Like many other biotech firms at the time, their focus was on precise disease and treatment research.

While many tech firms today still focus on disease and treatment research, many others have been focusing on healthcare delivery. Telehealth has been on the rise in recent years , with many young tech expanding virtual healthcare options. New technologies such as virtual visits, chatbots are being used to delivery healthcare to individuals, especially during Covid-19.

Many companies are also focusing their healthcare tech on patients, rather than doctors. For example Ada, a symptom checker app, used to be designed for doctor’s use but has now shifted its language and interface to prioritize giving patients information on their symptoms. Other companies, like 7 cups, are focused are offering mental healthcare support directly to their users without through their app instead of going through existing offices.

The past two decades have seen healthcare tech get much more personal and use tech for care delivery, not just advancing medical research.

The World Economic Forum was the first to draw the world’s attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the current period of unprecedented change driven by rapid technological advances. Policies, norms and regulations have not been able to keep up with the pace of innovation, creating a growing need to fill this gap.

The Forum established the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network in 2017 to ensure that new and emerging technologies will help—not harm—humanity in the future. Headquartered in San Francisco, the network launched centres in China, India and Japan in 2018 and is rapidly establishing locally-run Affiliate Centres in many countries around the world.

The global network is working closely with partners from government, business, academia and civil society to co-design and pilot agile frameworks for governing new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) , autonomous vehicles , blockchain , data policy , digital trade , drones , internet of things (IoT) , precision medicine and environmental innovations .

Learn more about the groundbreaking work that the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network is doing to prepare us for the future.

Want to help us shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Contact us to find out how you can become a member or partner.

In the early 2000s, many companies were at the start of their recovery from the bursting dotcom bubble. Since then, we’ve seen a large expansion in the way tech innovators approach areas such as new media, climate change, healthcare delivery and more.

At the same time, we have also seen tech companies rise to the occasion of trying to combat issues which arose from the first group such as internet content moderation, expanding climate change solutions.

The Technology Pioneers' 2020 cohort marks the 20th anniversary of this community - and looking at the latest awardees can give us a snapshot of where the next two decades of tech may be heading.

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License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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• Science and Technology Essay

Essay on Science and Technology

Science and technology is the ultimate need of an hour that changes the overall perspective of the human towards life. Over the centuries, there have been new inventions in the field of science and technology that help in modernizing. Right from connecting with people to using digital products, everything involves science and technology. In other words, it has made life easy and simple. Moreover, humans now have to live a simple life. There is modern equipment explored by tech experts to find something new for the future.

Science and technology have now expanded their wings to medical, education, manufacturing and other areas. Moreover, they are not limited to cities, but also rural areas for educational purposes. Every day new technologies keep coming, making life easier and more comfortable.

Brief about Science

Throughout history, science has come a long way. The evolution of the person is the contribution to science. Science helped humans to find vaccines, potions, medicines and scientific aids. Over the centuries, humans have faced many diseases and illnesses taking many lives. With the help of science, medicines are invented to bring down the effect or element of these illnesses.

Brief of Technology

The mobile, desktop or laptop which you are using for reading this essay, mobile you use for connectivity or communication or the smart technology which we use in our daily life, are a part of technology. From the machinery used in the factory to the robots created all fall under tech invention. In simpler words, technology has made life more comfortable.

Advancement in science and technology has changed the modern culture and the way we live our daily life.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Science and Technology

Science and technology have changed this world. From TV to planes, cars to mobile, the list keeps on going how these two inventions have changed the world we see through. For instance, the virtual talks we do use our mobile, which was not possible earlier. Similarly, there are electrical devices that have made life easier.

Furthermore, the transportation process we use has also seen the contribution of science and technology. We can reach our destination quickly to any part of the world.

Science and technology are not limited to this earth. It has now reached mars. NASA and ISRO have used science and technology to reach mars. Both organizations have witnessed success in sending astronauts and technologies to explore life in the mars.

Other Benefits

Life is much simpler with science and technology

Interaction is more comfortable and faster

Human is more sophisticated

Disadvantages

With the progress in science and technology, we humans have become lazier. This is affecting the human mind and health. Moreover, several semi-automatic rifles are created using the latest technology, which takes maximum life. There is no doubt that the third world war will be fought with missiles created using technology.

Man has misused the tech and used it for destructive purposes.

 Man uses them to do illegal stuff.

Technology such as a smartphone, etc. hurts children.

Terrorists use modern technology for damaging work.

Science and Technology in India

India is not behind when it comes to science and technology. Over the centuries, the country has witnessed reliable technology updates giving its people a better life. The Indian economy is widely boosted with science and technology in the field of astronomy, astrophysics, space exploration, nuclear power and more. India is becoming more innovative and progressive to improve the economic condition of the nation.

The implementation of technology in the research work promotes a better life ahead. Similarly, medical science in India is progressing rapidly, making life healthy and careful. Indian scientists are using the latest technology to introduce new medical products for people and offer them at the lowest price.

The Bottom Line

The main aim of writing this essay on science and technology is to showcase how humans have evolved over the years. Since we are advancing, the science and technology industry is also advancing at a faster pace. Although there are challenges, the road ahead is exciting. From interaction to transportation and healthcare in every sector, we will witness profitable growth in science and technology.

FAQs on Science and Technology Essay

1. How technology changed humans?

Technology has certainly changed the way we live our lives. Not a single piece of technology has failed and is continuously progressing. Be it the small industry or large, technology is a boom to your society. Technology can encompass ancient technologies like calculators, calendars, batteries and others. In future, the technology worlds include Blockchain technologies, smart cities, more advanced intelligent devices, quantum computers, quantum encryption, and others. Humans are updated with technology. This is a good sign for the coming generation.

2. What are the top technologies?

In the last few years, there has been a massive update in technology. From individuals to companies, everywhere, the use of technology is required. Some of the top technologies we are witnessing are

 Data Science

 Internet of Things

 Blockchain

 Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

 Virtual Reality

 Edge Computing

Intelligent apps

Artificial Intelligence

Each of these technologies is in the use of daily life and even in making products. However, to use this technology, there is a requirement of skilled professionals and they need proper training to use them.

3. Is the topic Science and Technology an appropriate topic for students?

Yes, Science and Technology are one of the most important topics every student should know in their schooling. The world is growing rapidly at an increasing rate where one should be equipped with minimum knowledge about these concepts. Science and technology have become a part of everyone’s life today. Therefore understanding them is definitely important.

4. Does writing essays improve English?

Yes, of course it does. Writing is absolutely fundamental to language learning. As with anything, however, it is important to learn when and what you write. If you do it all the time, your writing might sound forced. If you only do it when you don't have anything better to do, you might find yourself procrastinating, and not do it at all. It's also a lot more effective to compose essays when you are in that mindset of an essay. So, to answer your question, yes.

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Technology Now and Then

The modern societies have changed drastically over the past fifty years in regard on technology. The societies have become an information world where technology is almost everything as opposed to the past. Technology has changed and advanced a great deal presently compared to the earlier periods. Nowadays, it affects human life in different areas; for instance, it brings social change, educational change, agricultural change, and change in leisure activities among others.

Industrial Revolution and Technology

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Trade and Technology

In the past, the majority of the businesses were done locally and counting done manually. Technology has quickly changed the way people trade since the business people nowadays use internets, calculators, telephone, mobile forms, and airplanes (Klein, 2008). In the past, carrying goods to the marketplaces were done by people themselves or by use of animals such as donkeys, camels, and even cows (Klein, 2008). Presently, the trade industry has improved a great deal due to technology changes because traders can use vehicles and airplanes to transport and supply goods to the consumers. Starting a business in the past needed no registration since the technology was in its minimal form. On the other hand, when starting a business presently, registration is done in the local business registration offices, and a business name is applied using the computers with internets. In addition, with the birth of the internet, businesspersons can conduct international trade while they are in their countries without traveling all the way. This could not be done in the past as it forced the traders to travel all the way in order to take their goods and interact with the consumers.

Agriculture and Technology

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Education and Technology

Compared to the past, technology has estimably changed education. Teaching methods have advanced from ancient times to nowadays. In the past, science was taught through recitation method where learners memorized the machines without seeing them. But now, technology has led to the invention of laboratory, observation method, and fieldwork method with adequate laboratory facilities where science students can now observe the machines. In the past, some subjects were not included in the syllabus; for example, Information Technology. But due to advancement in technology, these topics have been added in the syllabus today. With this knowledge, the students now learn how to use computers (Zelkowitz, 2006). Thanks to technology advancements, students in schools around the world can learn using the computers. In the past, the students had to attend classes in person since there were no computers or laptops. Presently, with the invention of e-learning, students are able to learn online which is easier compared to the past (Hutchby, 2001).

Transport and Technology

In the past, people used animals such as camels, donkeys, horses, and cattle to travel from one area to another. This has changed with the Technology Revolution. Today, technology has invented machines, which make travelling easier than before, as they are quick and save time. Moreover, advancement in technology has led to the development of vehicles and trains, which people can use to travel to far places (Klein, 2008). There are also motorcycles and bicycles, which help people to travel on land. Presently, there are airplanes, jets, rockets, and airstrips, which people use to travel on air unlike in the past. In the past, people used boats, which were locally made to travel on water. These boats took a lot of time and needed a lot of energy to operate. But today, with the technology, many machines such as steamboats, ships, engine boats, and ferries have been invented (Klein, 2008). The invented machines now save time and energy and carry people as opposed to the earlier periods.

Communication and Technology

The types of medium people use to converse with one another have been advancing during the past years. The modes of communication have changed depending on the times, individual’s living situation, and advancement in technology (Klein, 2008). In the past, the types of communication technology devices have evolved from smoke signals and carrier pigeons to letters and telegrams. Later, in the 1800s, there was the invention of telegraphs, which brought about generational change in communication. Telegraph was the first main landmark in the development of communication technology (Zelkowitz, 2006). Today, people use efficient means of communication: mobile phones, e-mails, telephones, radio, cable television, and internet, which are faster than the ones used in the earlier periods. Nowadays, communication plays an important role in the public and private spheres as opposed to the past (Zelkowitz, 2006). Today, communication worldwide is at the tip of the finger and is factual. People use computers, Ipads, Blackberry playbooks, Tablets, and wireless internet to communicate instantly with the use of e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging, and video chats. Current technology makes communication continuous as it allows individuals to inarticulate themselves with a click of a button (Zelkowitz, 2006). People in the past were not exposed to the kind of technology that enabled face-to-face communication as today (Zelkowitz, 2006). Nowadays, people are able to communicate face to face despite the distance. For instance, one can have face-to-face communication through the application of 3G calls, Skype, and webcam (Hutchby, 2001). In ancient times, televisions were usually in optical screens, white and black images with few channels and with an antenna attached at the backs (Zelkowitz, 2006). But nowadays, there are varieties of televisions which appear in liquid crystal and plasma display. They have great sound systems and flat screens with clearer vision (Hutchby, 2001). The televisions also come in multitouch screens meaning we can control everything while watching. In conclusion, our everyday tasks have changed in one way or another due to technological advancement, and they are quickly becoming the norm. Numerous technological innovations have occurred since the beginning of humanity and contributed to the modern ones. The technological changes from the past to present always relate to survival needs like shelter, defense, or food. The technology revolution from the past to now helps in many aspects of our lives such as the economy, education, and health (Hutchby, 2001). Technological changes have positively driven civilization and changed cultural systems as it shapes and reflects the system’s values.

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Essay on Technology

Here we have shared the Essay on Technology in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Technology in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Technology in 150-250 words

• Essay on Technology in 300-400 words

Essay on Technology in 500-1000 words

Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we live, work, and communicate. It encompasses a wide range of tools, devices, and systems that enhance productivity, efficiency, and convenience. From smartphones and computers to advanced medical equipment and smart home devices, technology has transformed every aspect of our world.

The impact of technology is evident in various sectors, including education, healthcare, transportation, and communication. It has improved access to information, enabling faster and more efficient learning. In healthcare, technology has revolutionized diagnosis, treatment, and patient care, saving lives and improving outcomes. Transportation has become more efficient and safer with the advent of smart vehicles and navigation systems. Communication has transcended physical boundaries, connecting people across the globe instantly.

While technology brings numerous benefits, it also presents challenges. Concerns about privacy, cybersecurity, and the impact of technology on employment and social interactions have emerged. It is essential to harness technology responsibly and ethically to mitigate these challenges.

In conclusion, technology has transformed our lives, providing us with unprecedented convenience, efficiency, and connectivity. It continues to evolve and shape the world around us. As we embrace technology, we must also navigate the associated challenges and ensure that it is utilized for the betterment of society. The responsible and ethical use of technology is key to harnessing its full potential and creating a positive impact on individuals and communities.

Essay on Technology in 300-450 words

Technology has become an inseparable part of our modern lives, revolutionizing the way we live, work, and communicate. It encompasses a vast array of tools, systems, and devices that have transformed every aspect of our world. From smartphones and computers to artificial intelligence and advanced robotics, technology has brought about significant advancements and improvements in various fields.

One of the most significant impacts of technology is in the realm of communication. The advent of the internet and social media platforms has connected people from all corners of the world, enabling instant communication and global collaboration. The ability to share information, ideas, and experiences has fostered cultural exchange, expanded educational opportunities, and promoted social interactions on an unprecedented scale.

Technology has also revolutionized the business world, enhancing efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Automation and digitalization have streamlined processes, increased accuracy, and reduced human error. Organizations can now analyze vast amounts of data to make informed decisions, target specific markets, and personalize customer experiences. E-commerce platforms have opened new avenues for entrepreneurs and small businesses to reach a global customer base.

Education has also been greatly influenced by technology. Digital learning tools and online platforms have expanded access to education, making it more inclusive and flexible. Students can now engage in interactive and personalized learning experiences, access a wealth of educational resources, and collaborate with peers from around the world. Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have also transformed the way we perceive and engage with educational content, bringing subjects to life and making learning more immersive and interactive.

The healthcare sector has witnessed remarkable advancements with the aid of technology. Medical devices, imaging technologies, and telemedicine have improved diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. Electronic health records and data analytics have enhanced efficiency and accuracy in medical processes. Moreover, wearable devices and mobile applications have enabled individuals to monitor their health, promote wellness, and access medical information easily.

While technology brings numerous benefits, it also poses challenges and concerns. Privacy and security issues have become more prevalent, as personal data is increasingly stored and shared digitally. The rapid pace of technological advancements has also raised concerns about job displacement and the widening digital divide. Moreover, over-reliance on technology can lead to sedentary lifestyles, social isolation, and addiction.

In conclusion, technology has become an integral part of our society, transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. It has brought numerous advancements and benefits across various sectors, enhancing efficiency, connectivity, and accessibility. However, it is crucial to address the challenges associated with technology, such as privacy and security concerns, job displacement, and the need for digital literacy. By harnessing technology responsibly and ethically, we can ensure that it continues to bring positive changes and improves the lives of individuals and communities around the world.

Title: Technology – The Evolution and Impact on Society

Introduction :

Technology has become an integral part of our modern lives, permeating every aspect of society. From communication and transportation to education and healthcare, technology has revolutionized the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us. This essay explores the evolution of technology, its impact on various sectors, and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Evolution of Technology

The journey of technology can be traced back to the early inventions of the wheel, the printing press, and the steam engine. However, the rapid advancement of technology in the 20th and 21st centuries has transformed the world at an unprecedented pace. The invention of computers, the internet, and mobile devices have laid the foundation for the digital age we live in today.

The Impact of Technology on Communication

Technology has revolutionized communication, making the world more interconnected than ever before. The advent of the internet and social media platforms has transformed the way we communicate, allowing for instant global connectivity. Individuals can connect with friends, family, and colleagues across the globe through video calls, messaging apps, and social networks. Moreover, technology has facilitated the exchange of information and ideas on a global scale, fostering cultural exchange, promoting social activism, and increasing awareness of global issues.

Impact on Education

Technology has reshaped the landscape of education, providing new opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing. Digital learning tools, online platforms, and educational apps have expanded access to education, making it more flexible and inclusive. Students can engage in interactive and personalized learning experiences, access a wealth of educational resources, and collaborate with peers from different backgrounds. Additionally, technology has enabled remote learning, allowing individuals to pursue education regardless of geographical constraints. Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have also enhanced the learning experience, bringing subjects to life and making education more immersive and engaging.

Impact on Healthcare

The healthcare sector has experienced significant advancements with the aid of technology. Medical devices, imaging technologies, and telemedicine have revolutionized diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. Electronic health records and data analytics have improved efficiency and accuracy in medical processes. Moreover, wearable devices and mobile applications have empowered individuals to monitor their health, promote wellness, and access medical information easily. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to revolutionize healthcare further, enabling predictive analytics, personalized medicine, and improved patient outcomes.

Challenges and Concerns

Despite the numerous benefits of technology, it also poses challenges and concerns. Privacy and security issues have become more prevalent as personal data is increasingly stored and shared digitally. Cyberattacks, data breaches, and identity theft are growing concerns. The rapid pace of technological advancements also raises concerns about job displacement and the widening digital divide. As automation and artificial intelligence continue to advance, certain job roles may become obsolete, impacting employment rates and economic inequality. Additionally, over-reliance on technology can lead to sedentary lifestyles, social isolation, and addiction. Striking a balance between utilizing technology for its benefits while mitigating its negative impacts is crucial.

Conclusion :

Technology has transformed society, bringing unprecedented advancements and opportunities. It has revolutionized communication, education, healthcare, and various other sectors. However, it is essential to address the challenges and concerns associated with technology, such as privacy, job displacement, and the need for digital literacy. By harnessing technology responsibly and ethically, we can ensure that it continues to bring positive changes and improve the lives of individuals and communities worldwide. Technology should be seen as a tool to enhance human capabilities and foster human connections, while always striving for a balance between innovation and the preservation of humanity’s core values.

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Students Are Likely Writing Millions of Papers With AI

Students have submitted more than 22 million papers that may have used generative AI in the past year, new data released by plagiarism detection company Turnitin shows.

A year ago, Turnitin rolled out an AI writing detection tool that was trained on its trove of papers written by students as well as other AI-generated texts. Since then, more than 200 million papers have been reviewed by the detector, predominantly written by high school and college students. Turnitin found that 11 percent may contain AI-written language in 20 percent of its content, with 3 percent of the total papers reviewed getting flagged for having 80 percent or more AI writing. (Turnitin is owned by Advance, which also owns Condé Nast, publisher of WIRED.) Turnitin says its detector has a false positive rate of less than 1 percent when analyzing full documents.

ChatGPT’s launch was met with knee-jerk fears that the English class essay would die . The chatbot can synthesize information and distill it near-instantly—but that doesn’t mean it always gets it right. Generative AI has been known to hallucinate , creating its own facts and citing academic references that don’t actually exist. Generative AI chatbots have also been caught spitting out biased text on gender and race . Despite those flaws, students have used chatbots for research, organizing ideas, and as a ghostwriter . Traces of chatbots have even been found in peer-reviewed, published academic writing .

Teachers understandably want to hold students accountable for using generative AI without permission or disclosure. But that requires a reliable way to prove AI was used in a given assignment. Instructors have tried at times to find their own solutions to detecting AI in writing, using messy, untested methods to enforce rules , and distressing students. Further complicating the issue, some teachers are even using generative AI in their grading processes.

Detecting the use of gen AI is tricky. It’s not as easy as flagging plagiarism, because generated text is still original text. Plus, there’s nuance to how students use gen AI; some may ask chatbots to write their papers for them in large chunks or in full, while others may use the tools as an aid or a brainstorm partner.

Students also aren't tempted by only ChatGPT and similar large language models. So-called word spinners are another type of AI software that rewrites text, and may make it less obvious to a teacher that work was plagiarized or generated by AI. Turnitin’s AI detector has also been updated to detect word spinners, says Annie Chechitelli, the company’s chief product officer. It can also flag work that was rewritten by services like spell checker Grammarly, which now has its own generative AI tool . As familiar software increasingly adds generative AI components, what students can and can’t use becomes more muddled.

Detection tools themselves have a risk of bias. English language learners may be more likely to set them off; a 2023 study found a 61.3 percent false positive rate when evaluating Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exams with seven different AI detectors. The study did not examine Turnitin’s version. The company says it has trained its detector on writing from English language learners as well as native English speakers. A study published in October found that Turnitin was among the most accurate of 16 AI language detectors in a test that had the tool examine undergraduate papers and AI-generated papers.

Emily Mullin

Joel Khalili

C. Brandon Ogbunu

Schools that use Turnitin had access to the AI detection software for a free pilot period, which ended at the start of this year. Chechitelli says a majority of the service’s clients have opted to purchase the AI detection. But the risks of false positives and bias against English learners have led some universities to ditch the tools for now. Montclair State University in New Jersey announced in November that it would pause use of Turnitin’s AI detector. Vanderbilt University and Northwestern University did the same last summer.

“This is hard. I understand why people want a tool,” says Emily Isaacs, executive director of the Office of Faculty Excellence at Montclair State. But Isaacs says the university is concerned about potentially biased results from AI detectors, as well as the fact that the tools can’t provide confirmation the way they can with plagiarism. Plus, Montclair State doesn’t want to put a blanket ban on AI, which will have some place in academia. With time and more trust in the tools, the policies could change. “It’s not a forever decision, it’s a now decision,” Isaacs says.

Chechitelli says the Turnitin tool shouldn’t be the only consideration in passing or failing a student. Instead, it’s a chance for teachers to start conversations with students that touch on all of the nuance in using generative AI. “People don’t really know where that line should be,” she says.

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Gender pay gap in U.S. hasn’t changed much in two decades

The gender gap in pay has remained relatively stable in the United States over the past 20 years or so. In 2022, women earned an average of 82% of what men earned, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers. These results are similar to where the pay gap stood in 2002, when women earned 80% as much as men.

As has long been the case, the wage gap is smaller for workers ages 25 to 34 than for all workers 16 and older. In 2022, women ages 25 to 34 earned an average of 92 cents for every dollar earned by a man in the same age group – an 8-cent gap. By comparison, the gender pay gap among workers of all ages that year was 18 cents.

While the gender pay gap has not changed much in the last two decades, it has narrowed considerably when looking at the longer term, both among all workers ages 16 and older and among those ages 25 to 34. The estimated 18-cent gender pay gap among all workers in 2022 was down from 35 cents in 1982. And the 8-cent gap among workers ages 25 to 34 in 2022 was down from a 26-cent gap four decades earlier.

The gender pay gap measures the difference in median hourly earnings between men and women who work full or part time in the United States. Pew Research Center’s estimate of the pay gap is based on an analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) monthly outgoing rotation group files ( IPUMS ) from January 1982 to December 2022, combined to create annual files. To understand how we calculate the gender pay gap, read our 2013 post, “How Pew Research Center measured the gender pay gap.”

The COVID-19 outbreak affected data collection efforts by the U.S. government in its surveys, especially in 2020 and 2021, limiting in-person data collection and affecting response rates. It is possible that some measures of economic outcomes and how they vary across demographic groups are affected by these changes in data collection.

In addition to findings about the gender wage gap, this analysis includes information from a Pew Research Center survey about the perceived reasons for the pay gap, as well as the pressures and career goals of U.S. men and women. The survey was conducted among 5,098 adults and includes a subset of questions asked only for 2,048 adults who are employed part time or full time, from Oct. 10-16, 2022. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used in this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology .

The  U.S. Census Bureau has also analyzed the gender pay gap, though its analysis looks only at full-time workers (as opposed to full- and part-time workers). In 2021, full-time, year-round working women earned 84% of what their male counterparts earned, on average, according to the Census Bureau’s most recent analysis.

Much of the gender pay gap has been explained by measurable factors such as educational attainment, occupational segregation and work experience. The narrowing of the gap over the long term is attributable in large part to gains women have made in each of these dimensions.

Related: The Enduring Grip of the Gender Pay Gap

Even though women have increased their presence in higher-paying jobs traditionally dominated by men, such as professional and managerial positions, women as a whole continue to be overrepresented in lower-paying occupations relative to their share of the workforce. This may contribute to gender differences in pay.

Other factors that are difficult to measure, including gender discrimination, may also contribute to the ongoing wage discrepancy.

Perceived reasons for the gender wage gap

When asked about the factors that may play a role in the gender wage gap, half of U.S. adults point to women being treated differently by employers as a major reason, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2022. Smaller shares point to women making different choices about how to balance work and family (42%) and working in jobs that pay less (34%).

There are some notable differences between men and women in views of what’s behind the gender wage gap. Women are much more likely than men (61% vs. 37%) to say a major reason for the gap is that employers treat women differently. And while 45% of women say a major factor is that women make different choices about how to balance work and family, men are slightly less likely to hold that view (40% say this).

Parents with children younger than 18 in the household are more likely than those who don’t have young kids at home (48% vs. 40%) to say a major reason for the pay gap is the choices that women make about how to balance family and work. On this question, differences by parental status are evident among both men and women.

Views about reasons for the gender wage gap also differ by party. About two-thirds of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (68%) say a major factor behind wage differences is that employers treat women differently, but far fewer Republicans and Republican leaners (30%) say the same. Conversely, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say women’s choices about how to balance family and work (50% vs. 36%) and their tendency to work in jobs that pay less (39% vs. 30%) are major reasons why women earn less than men.

Democratic and Republican women are more likely than their male counterparts in the same party to say a major reason for the gender wage gap is that employers treat women differently. About three-quarters of Democratic women (76%) say this, compared with 59% of Democratic men. And while 43% of Republican women say unequal treatment by employers is a major reason for the gender wage gap, just 18% of GOP men share that view.

Pressures facing working women and men

Family caregiving responsibilities bring different pressures for working women and men, and research has shown that being a mother can reduce women’s earnings , while fatherhood can increase men’s earnings .

Employed women and men are about equally likely to say they feel a great deal of pressure to support their family financially and to be successful in their jobs and careers, according to the Center’s October survey. But women, and particularly working mothers, are more likely than men to say they feel a great deal of pressure to focus on responsibilities at home.

About half of employed women (48%) report feeling a great deal of pressure to focus on their responsibilities at home, compared with 35% of employed men. Among working mothers with children younger than 18 in the household, two-thirds (67%) say the same, compared with 45% of working dads.

When it comes to supporting their family financially, similar shares of working moms and dads (57% vs. 62%) report they feel a great deal of pressure, but this is driven mainly by the large share of unmarried working mothers who say they feel a great deal of pressure in this regard (77%). Among those who are married, working dads are far more likely than working moms (60% vs. 43%) to say they feel a great deal of pressure to support their family financially. (There were not enough unmarried working fathers in the sample to analyze separately.)

About four-in-ten working parents say they feel a great deal of pressure to be successful at their job or career. These findings don’t differ by gender.

Gender differences in job roles, aspirations

Overall, a quarter of employed U.S. adults say they are currently the boss or one of the top managers where they work, according to the Center’s survey. Another 33% say they are not currently the boss but would like to be in the future, while 41% are not and do not aspire to be the boss or one of the top managers.

Men are more likely than women to be a boss or a top manager where they work (28% vs. 21%). This is especially the case among employed fathers, 35% of whom say they are the boss or one of the top managers where they work. (The varying attitudes between fathers and men without children at least partly reflect differences in marital status and educational attainment between the two groups.)

In addition to being less likely than men to say they are currently the boss or a top manager at work, women are also more likely to say they wouldn’t want to be in this type of position in the future. More than four-in-ten employed women (46%) say this, compared with 37% of men. Similar shares of men (35%) and women (31%) say they are not currently the boss but would like to be one day. These patterns are similar among parents.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published on March 22, 2019. Anna Brown and former Pew Research Center writer/editor Amanda Barroso contributed to an earlier version of this analysis. Here are the questions used in this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology .

What is the gender wage gap in your metropolitan area? Find out with our pay gap calculator

• Gender & Work
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Women have gained ground in the nation’s highest-paying occupations, but still lag behind men

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