Robin Berjon

Web3 Summit 2024 · Aug 20, 2024

Many of us have spent years imagining a better internet that works for people. But our efforts tend to be scattered, improving one problem or iterating on one technological component, but not considering what global digital architecture should we assemble if we take seriously the idea that the internet should be public interest technology. This talk tries to take on that question. The chances are good that I'm wrong, but I hope to be usefully wrong. The video features a speaker discussing the concept of accountability in decision-making systems, illustrated by a historical incident involving the mishandling of imported ground squirrels at a Dutch airport. The speaker explains how this event exemplifies an "accountability sink," where no one could be held responsible due to the delegation of decision-making to a set of rules. The talk delves into the importance of feedback loops in governance systems, the challenge of creating autonomous decision-making systems that can adapt to real-world complexities, and the political nature inherent in designing these systems. The speaker emphasizes the responsibility technologists have in shaping rules that govern our interactions and the potential consequences of failing to consider these aspects carefully. They argue that rule-based systems are inherently incomplete due to the unpredictable nature of reality, necessitating human intervention for unforeseen situations. The presentation concludes by highlighting the difficulty in making decisions with no clear right answer and challenges the notion that technology alone can solve complex problems without considering political implications.