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ABSTRACT
A plethora of evidence demonstrates the effects of the digitisation of society on everyday life. Developments in web science (the world wide web), online technologies (internet of things, social media, e-governance), artificial intelligence and robotics present major challenges for contemporary societies. These technological advances create risks (loss of autonomy, cybercrime, online abuse, threats to children’s safety and national security) and opportunities (climate change mitigation, responses to global health scourges, medical therapies, intergenerational connectivity, smart cities). This article focusses on the contribution of the social sciences to the digital revolution, whether it be in the public or private sectors, civil society or households. The authors explore how technological innovations can result from international cooperation between researchers in different disciplines. They consider how evidence from the social sciences is used to measure the societal impacts of technological change in different cultural, economic and political contexts. They review the ethical issues raised by the datafication of society and autonomous learning machines, while assessing the contribution of social sciences to the policymaking process in the digital age.
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Notes on contributors
Linda Hantrais
Linda Hantrais FAcSS, is Emeritus Professor of European Social Policy, Loughborough University, UK, an Associate at the LSE International Inequalities Institute, and Chair of the UK Academy of Social Sciences’ International Advisory Group. Her research interests span international comparative research theory, methods, management and practice, with particular reference to public policy and institutional structures in the European Union. She has coordinated several European research projects on these topics. Her recent publications include articles, papers, blogs and monographs on the implications of Brexit for EU and UK social policy, and on European comparisons of the impacts of COVID-19.
Ashley Thomas Lenihan
Ashley Thomas Lenihan is a Fellow at the LSE Centre for International Studies, an Associate at LSE IDEAS, the Head of Policy and Engagement at the British Academy of Management, and a Senior Policy Advisor at the Academy of Social Sciences. Her research focusses on two areas: foreign investment and national security; and the relationship between social science research and the policymaking process.