Toward Ethical Smart Cities

Commentary – Towards Ethical Smart Cities

As cities around the world are exploring the new world of smart cities, they are seeking ways to create a higher quality of life for their citizens. To do so they’re deploying advanced networks embracing digital technologies capable of supporting major urban infrastructure operating a multitude of transportation systems, energy grids, sensors and many other advanced urban applications. To make evidenced-based decisions, communities are gathering significant amounts of data through sensors, cameras and automated technology interfaces (also known as API’s). All this data is being generated and gathered, with or without a person’s awareness as they cross the street, drive their car into a parking garage, push their shopping cart in a grocery store and even as they pick a jar of peanut butter off the shelf. Their picture may be taken as they enter a bank; they may have their facial features analyzed as they consider a purchase or even have their gait analyzed as they walk through the airport. And we may have taken for granted that we have offered personal data when we sign up for a free Facebook account, or share our professional status on LinkedIn and our photographic skills on Instagram.

These and other questions about values, ethics and data governance will be tackled in an exhibit by students at George Brown College’s Institute without Boundaries that is free to the public from Saturday Jan 18, 2020, 6:00 PM –Sat, Jan 25, 2020, 9:00 PM EST at 3 Lower Jarvis Street, Toronto, ON M5A 3Y5. More information and free tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toward-an-ethical-smart-city-tickets-86368479447?aff=ebdssbeac