Impact and Evolution of Information and Communication Technology

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

  • Definition and Core Components: ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is a technology that integrates three main elements to connect people with the internet and people with each other:

    • Computers

    • Smartphones

    • The Internet

  • Functional Applications: This technology enables various modern conveniences, such as:

    • The ability to send emails and communicate instantly with friends located in far-off places.

    • Smartphones providing localized, real-time weather alerts, such as predicting that it will rain at the user's current location within one hour.

Social Changes Driven by ICT

  • Data Accumulation: As ICT becomes more prevalent, massive amounts of digital information are being accumulated and stored daily.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is the representative technology used to process and utilize the vast amounts of accumulated digital information.

    • CES (Consumer Electronics Show): In January 2018, the world's largest ICT trade fair, CES, was held. The central theme was "AI Blending into Daily Life." The fair showcased various devices integrated with AI functions to assist in household and personal tasks.

  • The Future of Labor and Employment: It is predicted that human work will gradually transform due to the development of AI. This includes jobs that may disappear, jobs that will remain, jobs where the content will change, and jobs that will become more essential. Consideration is given to the following professions:

    • School teachers

    • Delivery drivers

    • Nursing care workers

    • Sales occupations

    • Accountants

    • Hotel receptionists

    • Lawyers

    • Bankers

    • Novelists

    • Pet care providers

    • Consultants

    • System engineers

    • Professional Shogi players

    • Professional baseball players

    • Reference Source: DMM Web Camp (https://web-camp.io/magazine/archives/85730)

  • Internet of Things (IoT): This technology is expected to significantly change future lives by connecting various objects in the living environment to the internet.

    • Mechanism: Attaching sensors and communication functions to everyday objects.

    • Examples: Household appliances, pets, and window locks.

Information Literacy and Information Morals

  • The Negative Aspects of Informatization: Several risks and negative consequences are associated with the spread of digital information:

    • Privacy Risks: Due to the expansion of Social Networking Services (SNS), there is a risk that personal information, which an individual does not want others to know, may be spread and disseminated broadly.

    • Surveillance Risks: Minute details of individual behavior are recorded as Big Data, creating a danger of constant monitoring and surveillance.

    • Social Chaos: There is a constant risk that incorrect information (misinformation or fake news) will spread, leading to societal confusion and instability.

    • Reference Source: Sankei News (https://www.sankei.com/article/20200510-GQ4TXA2Z5ZNZHJR5UAPXKT4IFA/)

  • Critical Competencies for the Information Age:

    • Information Literacy: The capability to judge information correctly and utilize it effectively.

    • Information Morals: The specific way of thinking and the attitude one should adopt when using information technology.

Questions & Discussion

  • Q: What technology allows us to email friends in distant places instantly or allows a smartphone to tell us it will rain in an hour?

    • Response: This is possible through the integration of computers, smartphones, and the internet, collectively known as ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

  • Q: What are the negative sides of the information-based society?

    • Response: The negative aspects include the spread of sensitive personal information via SNS, the recording and monitoring of behavior through Big Data, and the risk of social chaos caused by the spread of incorrect information. To combat these, developing information literacy and information morals is essential.