Thoughts on Human-centric Technology
Today, I‘d’ like to write about the concept of “Human-centric”, which is the theme of this blog, a key word for me to attempt finding “what’s best for me”.
Most of the Internet services we use today are centralized in a data economy; when you use a social network, you input your personal information, and that information is stored on a server owned by the company. Companies use this personal information to analyze individual behavior patterns and preferences, and then sell personalized advertisements so that users can purchase products and, as a result, earn advertising revenue.
I’m sure there are some people who think that this model is useful(I do),however, what is obscured by allowing this is the ethical aspect of how we view “tracking” or “surveillance”.
As you can see in the diagram below, the services we use today are structured on the left, with Facebook, Google, etc. in the middle and you don’t have a certain level of control over your personal information online. It’s hard to see the flow of your personal data, to where, how, and what information is being used by whom.
An introduction to Self-Sovereign Identity (by SSI Ambassador) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djhYZZ3CkuM
The human-centric data economy, as you can see on the right side of the figure, is about the user (you) regaining control over how they use various services and who they give what data to based on their consent on how their data is used.
This diagram is a description of one of the blockchain technologies, “SSI technology,” and one of the reasons I see the potential in blockchain is that it has a very similar idea to human-centric, at least part of it. However, what is important is that the idea of human-centric is not limited to blockchain, but rather can be seen as an overarching concept derived from data activism by citizens. This is what I’ve thought through researches, but I’d like to hear opinions on this part if you’re familiar with the topic.
As an example of the human-centric concept, the more familiar problem of “I can’t remember too many passwords these days” can be cited.
While we enjoy the convenience of using a variety of services on the Internet, it is becoming increasingly necessary to use long passwords for each service on different platforms. Simply put, many of you may be thinking, “I can’t remember so many long passwords.
In this TED talk, I asked the question, “Are passwords really the best way to protect your security? It poses the question, “What are you doing?
The History of Internet Security Development
According to TED speaker Bin Mai, the beginnings of security on the Internet were started by scientists, engineers and mathematicians in the STEM field. It’s these smart people who came up with the cryptographic techniques, algorithms, and secure protocols. In other words, it was “Technology-centric”. The result is the password system that we have today, as a result of technology and the corresponding security methods that have been developed.
Now that the Internet has become widely used commercially, it has become “Economic-centric”. Many of the Internet services we use have been adapted to fit the needs of the Internet, resulting in the “too many passwords to remember” problem. Remembering numerous passwords for different platforms can be a real challenge for humans. And as the Internet continues to develop and more and more people are going to use more and more services, we need to look for ways that are really better for us.
This is why attention is now being paid to “Human-centric” technologies. This is an approach that considers realistic methods for human beings in the form of “human decision making in the real world”. What is interesting is that psychology, neurology, behavioral economics, and sociology are mentioned as important academic fields for thinking about the human-centric way of life. As AI evolves in the future, we can see a tendency for more advanced skills in “human-oriented” fields or liberal arts.
Know that it isn’t Black and White.
A human-centric idea is not the hero that saves everything. The same is true when it comes to blockchains, which tend to be hyped a lot. I think it’s a new way of thinking about knowing one’s needs — “what I need” — and being willing to choose where to have control and where not to have it.
