Abstract:

Advances in new digital platforms, innovative applications, and the convergence of computer, information,
and communication technologies are transforming our everyday lives. ICTs have consequences for governance,
community, work, information, knowledge, human communication, and well being, to name only a few. We live in a
world where change is a constant, where interdependencies are multiple, heterogeneous, and increasingly fragile, and
where uncertainty, ambiguity, incomplete information, and unanticipated consequences are the norm. The outcomes
of our engagement with technology are complex and unpredictable. They defy simple conclusions because they are
historical, temporal, situational, and embedded. Moreover, they are problematic and surprising: inconsistent,
paradoxical, disorderly, contradictory, and contingent. In this talk I want to examine some of the empirical evidence
about the complexity of our technological landscape and suggest ways to make sense of what is happening
through theoretical frameworks drawn from different disciplinary traditions. Following Nobel Laureate in Economics
Elinor Ostrom, our aim should be to “dissect and harness complexity rather than eliminate it” so that we can
create responsive and resilient systems.

Back