What we’re reading this week – Oct. 5, 2018

An Ink Factory illustration demonstrating the dawn and doom aspects of technology.

Leading up to the fifth Dawn or Doom conference, the Dawn or Doom crew of writers, marketers and interns will be sharing some of their favorite dawn or doom-esque stories that both inspire and scare us. To better understand the nuanced landscape of technology, we’re reading about all the ways artificial intelligence, algorithms, drones, cyber security and the internet are shaping our lives.

This year, the conference is part of Purdue's Giant Leaps Sesquicentennial Campaign and is the centerpiece of the Ideas Festival theme “Giant Leaps in Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, and Automation: Balancing Humanity and Technology.” This week we read about how technological advancements are directing change in the world. While some technologies are making life easier for us, they also pose a threat to our privacy and safety.

The Good

All 700 employees at this startup work remotely. Here's why one of its top execs says it's given them a major edge over the competition

Aside from avoiding rush hour and not having to put pants on in the morning, this company has found many benefits to allowing all of its employees to work from home.

The Neutral

The secret data collected by dockless bikes is helping cities map your movement

The collection of private data is being used to make our bike rides more enjoyable.

The Most Important Survival Skill for the Next 50 Years Isn’t What You Think

With technology advancing so rapidly, we may have to change the way we view and process the world around us.

The Bad

We Need To Examine The Ethics And Governance Of Artificial Intelligence

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence has led to ethical issues that need to be addressed in the near future.