Artificial Intelligence & Human Values - Lesson 7

The practice of governments using focused and limited knowledge to control aspects of a complex reality.

Government practices that focus on managing population health and growth.

To govern a territory and its population by increasing wealth, raising revenues, building armies, and managing population growth and health.

The science of the state, focusing on the management of resources, trade, and territory to increase state power.

The use of quantitative data, like numerical records, to study population and resources, primarily in England.

Numerical information collected through observation and measurement.

Local data was first collected and later repurposed for government purposes.

It simplifies complex realities by focusing on specific aspects, providing a clearer understanding of limited areas.

In US history, there were two main ideas about democracy. One focused on a unified public good pursued through virtuous politics. The other saw society as a collection of diverse interests needing governance with information about population composition.

The US Constitution requires a national census, first conducted in 1787. It's used for determining political representation, as seen in the '3/5ths Compromise' for enslaved people.

The ability of the public to understand and use numbers was considered crucial for a republican government, not because everyone had to be a mathematician, but because it promoted logical thinking and decision-making.

Identifying and quantifying problems through counting them helps define them for government intervention. The US Census has evolved to include questions about social issues over time, reflecting changing political priorities.

Numbers have been used to legitimize and evaluate government actions. From the 19th century onwards, political arguments increasingly relied on numerical data.

During the neoliberal period (1980s to 2010s), there was a shift in governance. Individuals, businesses, and social groups became increasingly responsible for generating their own data for decision-making.

Neoliberalism was marked by skepticism towards government's ability to accurately calculate and regulate national interests, leading to a focus on individual and private sector solutions.

In the neoliberal era, social actors like businesses and individuals took on the responsibility of generating numbers, interpreting data, and making decisions based on those calculations.

A state characterized by significant reliance on data and digital technologies for governance, impacting the relationship between numbers, facts, and ideals of good governance.

The emergence of statistics and "population thinking" grew from the state's need to govern its territory and increase its power. States collected data to understand their populations and create an "administrative grid" for governing.

A framework created by states using collected statistical data to organize and manage their populations. Simplifying complex realities to make governance easier.

Democracy relies on citizens understanding and using numbers, while experts provide data-driven insights to politicians and entrepreneurs, creating a public culture of numbers.

The relationship between numbers, facts, and good governance evolves over time. From the high-modernist state (1950-1970) to the neoliberal state (1980-2010s) and the emerging dataist state (2010s-present).

The relationship between numbers and politics is not inherent but created through cultural and historical processes. It's about the 'what', 'where', and 'how' these elements align.

Statistics, the state, populations, and the "social" are interconnected and co-created. Statistics provided insights into social dynamics, shaping our understanding of society.

A way of thinking that prioritizes data and statistics to understand and manage human populations, often used by governments.

A metaphor describing the perceived value and importance of big data in the modern world, emphasizing its potential for economic and social impact.

A worldview that views data as the fundamental building block of reality and sees the world through a lens of data collection and analysis.

The study of how data is produced, distributed, and valued in society, including its economic and political implications.

The field of statistics emerged from the need of states to collect and analyze information about their populations and resources.

Populations become a target of state power and control through the collection and analysis of data on their characteristics and behaviors.

Modern states, populations, and statistics have evolved together, shaping each other through data collection and analysis.

State data collection, particularly on population and resources, was crucial for building modern states and managing their affairs.