Dutch Computer Society, KNVI, took the opportunity of IFIP’s General Assembly to present the book ‘Smart Humanity’, which has been translated into English using AI.
The Translation Process – Some Difficulty with Dates
No modifications were made to the translated text, apart from year numbers and word and sentence breaks that the program had some trouble with, and the layout was tidied up here and there. KNVI has thus demonstrated what is already possible in the field and is within everyone’s reach.
Current Articles
The articles in the book Smart Humanity are more topical than ever. An introduction to Personal Knowledge Management or the role of the digital leader? The information manager as the sheep with five legs, or how you can (and must) keep up with your profession? The introductions by Rik Maes, Martijn Aslander and Dion Kotteman speak for themselves. How can cities prepare themselves for the deployment of smart digital tools? Smart Humanity gives a number of tips. The way in which users experience the convenience of IT facilities? That too is Smart Humanity. Companies and governments who are still seduced by making yet another application instead of a data-centric approach? See the book.
Ethical Considerations
The common thread in Smart Humanity is the ethical considerations critical to the deployment of IT. Each contribution asks what is the purpose for deploying IT, what strategy is the client or maker pursuing, and what are the subsequent effects on society? 24×7 surveillance? That is possible. Nudging information? In the blink of an eye. Making citizens dependent or empowering them with IT facilities? Both are possible. It is up to the information professional to interpret the impact of the deployment of information facilities and to help make the right considerations when using them. This is a major responsibility and a major task that demands national and international attention from all information professionals.