FortyFive › Revision notes › IB Digital Society › IB Digital Society: Content: Robots and autonomous technologies
IB Digital Society: Content: Robots and autonomous technologies
Automation, work, safety, ethics. 2 subtopics, 9 key terms.
In this topic: 8.1 · 8.2
8.1Robots, automation and work
Key terms
- Robot
- A programmable machine that senses, processes and acts in the physical world.
- Automation
- Using machines to do tasks once done by people.
- Cobot
- A collaborative robot designed to work alongside humans.
- Gig economy
- Short-term, platform-mediated work (e.g. delivery riders).
- Algorithmic management
- Workers directed and evaluated by algorithms.
Robots: industrial (car factories), service (warehouses, cleaning), medical (surgical robots), social robots (care homes).
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: Use “routine vs non-routine tasks” to explain which jobs are most at risk.
8.2Autonomous technologies: safety and ethics
Key terms
- Autonomous vehicle
- A vehicle that can drive itself, with levels 0–5 (SAE).
- Drone
- An uncrewed aerial vehicle.
- Lethal autonomous weapon
- A weapon that selects and engages targets without human control.
- Human in the loop
- A human must approve key decisions.
Autonomous vehicles: potential safety gains; accidents (e.g. an Uber test car killed a pedestrian in Arizona, 2018) raise accountability questions.
The full notes, worked example and check questions for this subtopic are in the app.
Exam tip: Accountability questions are perfect for the concept of values and ethics: weigh several stakeholders.
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