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David Ryan Polgar
Contributing Writer
David is an ambidextrous thinker who likes big ideas. As a “Tech Ethicist,” he explores our evolving relationship with social media and tech from an ethical, legal, and emotional perspective. Utilizing his background as an attorney, educator, and pop culture aficionado, David offers a fresh perspective on potential trends and ways to humanize our digital lives. He is currently a speaker (3-time TEDx), branding and communications consultant, and Trust & Safety for social messaging platform Friendbase. David is researching the impact that “scaling intimacy” has on human relationships, and working on an upcoming book. He is also the co-host for Funny as Tech.
He can be contacted at TechEthicist.com and @TechEthicist.
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Our future as humans might be great. Or non-existent. Is our government, or Silicon Valley, prepared to handle the consequences of advancing AI?
Are Americans finally embracing a better work-life balance? New Research by Project: Time Off indicates that Americans used more paid vacation days in 2016. On the downside, Americans still feel guilty about taking time off and often forfeit their vacation days. Men are also more likely than women to use their time.
Has Google become our modern confessional? Former Google data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz discusses how Google knows you better than your friends and family--maybe even yourself. He is the author of Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are.
A new study from Yale researchers found that people rate familiar fake news as more accurate than unfamiliar real news. This is a troubling finding that makes the fight against fake news increasingly difficult.
Even though there is no ramification for being rude or cold to AI, we may have a tendency to display gratitude. Why? An interview with the founder of x.ai, Dennis Mortensen.
The SATs are often criticized for being biased towards wealthy students able to afford expensive tutors and test prep. Khan Academy is aiming to level the playing field through its free tutorial program, made in collaboration with the College Board. New findings by Khan Academy and the College Board showed that students who spent 20 hours on their free program did 60 points better than non-users.
Our "one beer an hour" rule of thumb is based on drinking a bottle of Bud. Now that more people are drinking pints of stronger craft brews, how do we adjust this rule of thumb?
The world's first malaria vaccine will be released in Ghana, Keyna, and Malawi in 2018. While malaria was eradicated in the US by 1951, it still kills over 400,000 people worldwide each year. Will this vaccine help eradicate malaria?
The Repair Cafe movement was started in the Netherlands in 2009 to allow people to bring in their goods to be fixed by volunteers for free. There are now over 1200 Repair Cafes throughout the world. Should you start one?
Is Disney creating a G-Rated Westworld? Disney Enterprises recently filed a patent for a "soft body robot for physical interaction with humans." The result may be similar to Baymax, the inflatable therapeutic robot from Disney's Big Hero 6.
Microchipping humans may be common in the future. The prospect of constantly being tracked and online raises some major ethical concerns. Futurist and humanist Gerd Leonhard provides insight into where we're headed.
Do you want your voice heard? Facebook recently unveiled a tool called Town Hall which makes it incredibly easy to contact your elected officials. By removing the friction of contacting politicians, Facebook may be creating a "social infrastructure" that increases civic engagement.
Your Internet Service Providers are collecting and selling your browsing history. Does that bother you? If so, it may be time to setup a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to better encrypt your data and spoof your location.
Congress has voted to repeal online privacy rules that would have given consumers greater notice and control over their data. Internet Service Providers such as AT&T and Verizon will now be able to sell your browsing history, app usage, and geo-location.
How are we preparing for the massive disruption that AI and automation will have on the workplace? We're not. Despite a PwC report stating that 38% of American jobs may be automated in the near future, US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin states that losing jobs through AI is "not even on our radar screen."
Despite our focus on China, Amazon may be displacing more American workers. How do we create a human-first economy when what is beneficial to us as consumers may not align with what's best for American workers?
Bottoms ups! A Southern Calfornia brewery is taking its beer from toilet to tap. San Diego's Stone Brewing has started making Full Circle Pale Ale using treated sewage water and recently held a tasting. While Bill Gates has shown that drinking "poop water" is perfectly fine, will consumers chug down this beer?
Married Americans are now having sex 11 fewer times per year than in 2002, according to a new study published in the Archives for Sexual Behavior. What is causing this dramatic change?
Is Alzheimer's triggered by too much sugar? We have long known that consuming too much sugar is related to obesity and diabetes. A new UK study has found a molecular "tipping point," where a crucial enzyme related to insulin regulation is damaged by excess glucose. This may have a major impact on our understanding of the cognitive disease along with our diet.
The new data dump by WikiLeaks showcases just how vulnerable our smartphones and smart TVs are to hacking. This first release, part of the larger Vault 7, provides insight into the massive capabilities of the CIA to use popular tech tools as a form of surveillance. Now, what happens when it gets into the wrong hands?