Joint Research Centre The European Commission’s science and knowledge service Digital Earth: Future Challenges Alessandro Annoni European Commission – Joint Research Centre ISDE 11, Florence 24-27/09/2019 Farm Automation Courtesy Jerry Kaplan, Stanford University 2 Farm % of Total US Employment 3 Courtesy Jerry Kaplan, Stanford University Digital transformation refers to the profound changes taking place in the economy and society as a result of the uptake and integration of digital technologies in every aspect of human life. MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR SOCIETY TO WHICH SCIENCE SHOULD RESPOND International Science Council: Action Plan 2019-2021 Today’s digital technologies are a good example of a ‘general-purpose technology’ that continually transforms itself, progressively penetrating almost all domains of private and public life. It disrupts existing patterns of behaviour, organization and production and boosts productivity across all sectors and industries because of its cost effectiveness, with profound economic and social implications. It has ushered in a new era of data driven science, with concomitant pressures for change in the social organization of science. The Digital Revolution Domain 2 in the ISC Action Plan 2019-21 Global society is in the throes of a digital revolution that has transformed the way in which information and knowledge are acquired, stored, communicated and used. This revolution is distinguished by its speed, its global pervasiveness and its disruptive consequences. There are few areas of individual, commercial, social or political action that are unaffected. It poses powerful opportunities and radical challenges both to science and to society to adapt in ways that maximise beneficial and minimise negative outcomes. Two Projects as priority •Data-driven interdisciplinarity •Global data resources and governance Most important technologies contributing to Digital Transformation Digital Earth vs Digital Twin https://blog.eduonix.com/internet-of-things/digital-twin-new- big-strategic-rise-iot/ https://www.networkworld.com/article/3280225/what-is-digital- twin-technology-and-why-it-matters.html Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical devices that data scientists and IT pros can use to run simulations before actual devices are built and deployed. They are also changing how technologies such as IoT, AI and analytics are optimized. Major Challenges for Digital Earth •Big Data Management •DE Platforms implementation and construction •Developing an Ecosystem for DE •Addressing Social Complexities •Diversified curricula toward DE Education AI Thematic profiles in Job Vacancies and Academic Programs Education Technologies relevant for Digital Earth •IoT •Block Chain •Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality •Artificial Intelligence •Hyper Connectivity •5G, Fog/Edge computing •Progress in computing and microelectronics •In memory computing… Data Explosion https://www.semiconwest.org/consumer-industrial-data- explosion-hits-supply-chain Data Vs Computing Power Techn •New •Edge •Quan ological solutions emerge powerful chips and Fog computing tum computing … COMPUTING Energy consumption © Sibelga 2012. All rights reserved. source: IEEE STC on Sustainable Computing Data ecosystem (economic vs technogical view) Data value chain vs Datafication paradigm Source: https://opendatawatch.com/publications/the-data- value-chain-moving-from-production-to-impact/ (networked) Supply chain ecosystem DE Platform Ecosystem Social Utility Function Policy Blockchain Blockchain — just like data science — is gradually transforming the way several industries operate. And while data science focuses on harnessing data for proper administration, blockchain ensures trust of data by maintaining a decentralized ledger. Fog and Edge computing https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S1383762118306349 Opportunities: e.g. Artificial Inteligence AI is automation Quality of work will improve Better decision making Readiness and Maturity of the technologies New challenges •Sustainability •Ethics and Security •Digital Governance Societal and ethical impact Societal and ethical impact Face Recognition https://newsroom.cisco.com/feature-content?type=webcontent&articleId=1938827 Tecnolgy my raise ethical concern Legislators in San Francisco have voted to ban the use of facial recognition, the first US city to do so. The emerging technology will not be allowed to be used by local agencies, such as the city's transport authority, or law enforcement. With this vote, San Francisco has declared that face surveillance technology is incompatible with a healthy democracy and that residents deserve a voice in decisions about high-tech surveillance," Trust in technologies Algorithmic Authority and algorithm bias Regulation vs Innovation Technological Determinism: Technological Neutrality •It is one of the commonly held views that the computer, like all pieces of technology is neutral it’s only a tool it might be argued. Or we could rebut this point with the statement that technology is not neutral because it determines the course of society through history. Technological determinism argues that throughout history, technology has been the main cause for changes in society. https://www.scss.tcd.ie/tangney/ComputersAndSociety/99/StdPape rs/P3-Revisited/doc.html Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality and Collaborative Platform Big challenges for DE scientists – wrap up •Mastering Technologies and try to use them for good (e.g. to address sustainability issues). Bad examples could be of inspiration (e.g. use of profiles to better target people needs) •Identify and address ethical and security challenges when they emerge (e.g being ethic and secure by design) •Provide solutions (e.g. platforms) that are Multidisciplinary, Collaborative and Inclusive always considering environmental and socio-economic impacts of human actions •Understand impact of digital transformation and contribute to define the right digital governance Conclusions •No single definition of Digital Earth. DE is an evolving concept to adapt to social and technological changes •Its main characteristic is to promote the use of digital the technology to study and safeguard our planet and the people that live in •Mastering Technologies, Understanding social changes and Addressing societal challenges should be the raison d'etre of the DE community •Advances in science will be relevant if and only if we can demonstrate their value for big issues of our society Thanks EU Science Hub: ec.europa.eu/jrc Twitter: @EU_ScienceHub Facebook: EU Science Hub - Joint Research Centre LinkedIn: Joint Research Centre YouTube: EU Science Hub