Do we control technology or does technology control us?

Abstract

William Wulf has suggested that the use of tools, i.e. technology, is what defines us as human. Might technology also be a genie that once released cannot be returned to its bottle? This paper describes a course for a mixed group of first-year engineering and liberal arts students, designed to explore the history and future of the human-technology relationship. This course is part of a college-wide program that develops students' critical reading, writing and discussion skills. The expectation is that exploring the relationship between technology and society will engage both engineering and liberal arts students. From the classical myth of Prometheus to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to IBM's Watson computer and beyond, the course explores the relationship between technology and progress, technology and happiness, and technology and human freedom, offering students contrasting views of what drives technology and how best to cope with its uncertainties. Students examine the social context in which technology operates, ethical considerations related to technology, and gain practice in critical reading, writing and presentation skills. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.