[ecrea] Call for papers - Special Issue of AI & Society Journal

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AI&  SOCIETY: Celebrating the 25th birthday anniversary
(http://www.springer.com/computer/ai/journal/146)

Call for Papers

Theme: 'A Faustian Exchange: What is to be human in the era of Ubiquitous
Technology?'

In the age of pervasive and streaming technologies, we get a deep sense
that the more we get caught up in a process of self-commodification, the
more we are threatened with the loss of our existential autonomy. We have
become accustomed to perceiving and thinking in singularities and
individualism, rooted deeply into the techno-industrial culture of
competitiveness and the possibilities inherent in technology. Since its
inception, the theme of Judgment to Calculation has been central to the
ongoing debates in the journal. In the early days of AI, Prof. Weizenbaum
in his seminal book, Computer Power and Human Reason (1976), warned us
against instrumental reason and giving machines the responsibility for
making genuinely human choices.

There is a legitimate concern that further advances in pervasive technology
could create profound social disruptions and even have dangerous
consequences, forcing humans to learn to live with machines which
increasingly copy human behaviours. But how is it possible to reconcile the
widening gaps between constructed reality and the basic reality of the
human condition? The challenge is to recalibrate the spiral of Judgment to
Calculation, moving forwards from Calculation to Judgment. We feel that the
time has now come to square the circle and provide a forum for a debate on
the theme of 'Faustian Exchange: what it is to be human in Ubiquitous
Technology', reflecting the complex, uncertain, multicultural and
interconnected world we live in.

Issues and Concerns

Pervasive technology has great potential and possibilities in many realms
of human society, including medicine, healthcare, agriculture,
transportation, education, commerce, arts and culture, scientific research
and discovery. However, we should remain vigilant about the profound
implications of the mediating technologies on human life.
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What are the consequences of man's reliance on technology in deciding and
pursuing what is truly valuable?
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What is it to be human when being mediated by technology in contrast to how
we are in the presence of others?
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How do we make our presence felt in the wilderness of the post-human and
the extended mind?
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How does this new pervasive technology affect society? How do we interact
with the technologies embedded in our world? Have we gone beyond the
frontiers of control?
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How do we deal with the dilemma that singularity represents not simply the
passing of humankind from center stage, but that it contradicts our most
deeply held notions of being?
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A robot for granny - Is there a technocratic fix for every social
"problem"?
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What would it be like designing technological systems for nurturing the
well-being of human kind?
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What can arts, literature, music and culture contribute to the debate on
Faustian Exchange?
Œ
Can the sorcerer's apprentice shed some light on increasing preoccupation
of technologising the academy and turning universities into theme parks of
extended websites?
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How do we transcend the 'bipolar tendency' of the market culture, and 'deal
with the swings between prophesies of doom that serve only to paralyze us
further, and the unbridled consumerism that makes things worse'?
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Does the recent financial crisis at last make us see through the myth of
the culture of 'anti-intellectualism' and the 'end of history'?
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What have we gained and what have we lost in the Faustian Exchange? Have we
already bargained our soul for the seductive power of instrumental
technology?

This special 25th anniversary issue of AI&Society will explore ways to
optimize technology for society beyond the questions, 'could we?' and
'should we?' We welcome contributions for this special volume. Full
articles (up to 6000 words): deadline 30 September 2013 Publication:
January 2014

Karamjit S Gill
Editor, AI&Society: journal of knowledge, culture and communication
(kgillbton /at/ yahoo.co.uk)

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