Digdeep Podcast: Technology, Power & Society – What Can We Learn From the History of IT?

In this episode of #digdeep, historian Debora Gerstenberger talks about the influence of the IT history.

Technological developments often seem inevitable in retrospect, but they are shaped by decisions influenced by power structures and societal forces.

Technologies such as big data, social media, and artificial intelligence are not neutral, as their use depends on who makes the decisions and whose interests they serve.

Historian Prof. Dr. Debora Gerstenberger explores how the introduction of modern IT is connected to the history of states, intelligence agencies, and societal change.

In her research project, “Wired History. Computers, Humans, and the Making of Latin American Futures (1950s–2000s),” she examines the political and social contexts behind technological developments in Latin America. She also highlights the role of chance and individual decisions, such as the introduction of IBM terminals at Brazil’s SNI intelligence agency.

Just listen in (podcast in German).