‘Star Wars’ is the classic example of a symbiotic human-machine relationship. The ‘force’ guided the human actions which were supported by data driven inputs from the ‘droids’. Being guided by the ‘force’ is nothing but human ability to use our intuition and exercise judgement. Though a work of fiction, the classic, might have essential food for thought for the future of human-machine interaction!

Akhiljeet Kaur’s paper ‘Privacy implications of an automated cyber-security system – with or without the human in the loop’ addresses the implications of privacy breaches in automated cybersecurity systems – with or without the involvement of a human. The essay, a runner-up in the IIC’s Future Leaders Competition 2020, contrasts the views of technological determinism and social constructivism on key issues from philosophical, ethical, social, political, economic, technological and environmental perspectives. It suggests a way forward to inform policy and regulation that emphasises the need for multidisciplinary teams and suitably skilled individuals who have a holistic understanding about privacy implications of cybersecurity systems.

The essay is available to download (link below) or from the IIC website: https://www.iicom.org/feature/akhiljeet-kaur/