WE ARE PRODUCTS - P. R., Biju

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Résumé :
'In this accessible study of the contemporary social media, Biju Gayu argues that we're subjected to a new, extractive force: digital colonialism...' -Geert Lovink, Founding Director, Institute of Network Cultures Haven't you dreamt of a life without the small practical impediments in your day? Where you don't need to shop for groceries or park in crowded multiplexes? Imagine a society where your car drives itself, where products autodeliver at a wish, where content recommendations are tailored to your taste. The fact is that such a world is not far. Rapid developments in technology have made some of these a part of our present reality. Yet, is technology invading us? What are the human costs of this supremacy given to technology? How long can our human cognitive abilities withstand the onslaught of thinking machines? Through a close analysis of contemporary society and numerous case studies, author and researcher Dr Biju PR offers an account of how data is enabling huge material progress but deeply affects human cognition and sensibilities. He examines data colonialism, the new capitalism, and the attention economy taking shape on the premise of big data bringing us a world of convenience. Our lives are reduced to computational values. The human element is surrendered to intelligent machines. We Are Products is a must-read for everyone concerned about the human fate in the face of technology.

Biographie:
Dr Biju P.R. is assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, Government Brennen College, Thalassery, Kerala. He is a writer, teacher and researcher who tracks the trinity of everyday technology, society and social change. He keeps himself engaged with topics on artificial intelligence, love, sexuality, relationships, discrediting fake news, the effects of Internet pornography, and the link between technology and society in India. He is also the author of Political Internet (2016), Intimate Speakers (2017), Selfie Sex (2018) and Slave Technology (2019). He is currently working on the history of the social evolution of technology from hominids to humanoids, which argues that machines are capable of replacing not only human muscles, but brain functions.