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Abstract:
Over the years,
there have been many avenues explored in the search for ways to measure
ICT value. One area where evaluators have sometimes struggled is where
new technologies shift paradigms or change the ground rules. When this
happens, the concept of value itself can change, making existing methods
of evaluation redundant or at least suspect. A further problem is that
the impact of the shift itself can be misjudged. This has sometimes
resulted in over- and (occasionally) underestimation of the impact of
new technology. The irrational value placed on the Internet and Web for
e-business during the dot.com boom is a good example of such
misjudgement, but it is by no means unique.
An intriguing question is, therefore, how to evaluate ICT
when a technological development changes the nature of the problem
entirely. This is particularly important at the moment because it is
arguable that such a point has now been reached and that the speed and
nature of pending technology change presents enormous conceptual and
even philosophical challenges for IS evaluation research. In this paper,
it is argued that there is a rapidly diminishing window of opportunity
in which to get our values and value systems clear before a combination
of technological advance and market forces overwhelms our ability to
make value choices. This paper explores some potential developments in
IT, the difficulties posed for IT evaluation in his context, the risks
in this situation and some issues that need to be further explored.
Keywords:
IT value, emerging technology, artificial intelligence,
robotics, cyborgs, nanotechnology, discontinuity. |
