Group #1
Ethan Zuckerman’s article critiques the idea that technology alone can fix deep social
problems. He uses Shane Snow’s idea which proposes prisoners to be in solitary confinement
while interacting only through virtual reality (VR) and consuming Soylent—as an example of a
misguided technological "solution." Snow’s plan ignores the severe effects of mental health that
includes isolation and the ethical issues of experimenting with untested virtual reality use on
humans. The U.K. Post Office Horizon scandal is a real-world example of this problem. The
Post Office blindly trusted the Horizon accounting software, assuming it was infallible. When
errors occurred, instead of investigating, they accused and prosecuted innocent postmasters,
ruining lives (Edinger 5:21). Just like Snow's prison reform idea, this scandal highlights the
dangers of relying too much on technology without considering human consequences. Real
solutions must address the root causes of problems, not just introduce new tech as a quick fix.
Group #5
Zuckerman argues that technologists often fail to consider how their innovations might cause
harm. Many assume that new technology is always beneficial, but poorly designed systems can
lead to severe consequences. He suggests that developers should critically examine their work
and engage with real users to prevent these unintended consequences, then apply these large
scale solutions using technology. The Horizon scandal is a good example of how technology
does more harm than good. Fujitsu developed the horizon system which ultimately falsely
accused over 900 U.K postmasters of fraud which led them to financial ruin and wrongful
convictions (Edinger 7:40-7:52). The Post Office ignored evidence of errors because they
trusted the software more than the people using it. Zuckerman would likely argue that they had
ethical responsibility, they could have all prevented this disaster. Technology is not always right,
and companies like Fujitsu must make sure that their systems better the lives of the people
instead of ruining them.