Technology and Sustainable Development

Technological change is at the core of all major disruptions in human history, and revolutions, wars, and general development are regularly connected to some sort of technological change. However, not all development is beneficial. While technology has fueled great innovations and rapid development, the notion of sustainable development has gained prominence as we now experience serious social, economic, and environmental challenges.
This book examines whether technology can be used to fix the very problems caused by technology, as the various chapters examine different aspects related to how technology has brought us where we are today (which some will say is the best place humanity's been at according to a range of metrics), and whether technology helps or hinders us in our efforts to solve the challenges we currently face. The issues discussed cover the three sustainability dimensions and include topics such as the materiality of AI, technology in education, AI for gender equality, innovation and the digital divide, and how technology relates to power, the political system, and capitalism. The chapters all build on the theoretical backdrop of technological change, sustainable development, and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals are actively used throughout this book, both to examine how these goals capture or overlook central elements of sustainable development, and also to facilitate and create a common framework of engagement between the chapters.
This book provides a novel combination of traditional theories that are explored through different case studies, providing the ground for a better understanding of how and when technology can -and cannot -be the enabler of sustainable development. It is thus an important resource for students of all disciplines, technologists, and those developing and applying new technologies. It is also a valuable resource for politicians and regulators attempting to harness the power of technology for good, while limiting its negative potential.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license. Funded by Ostfold University College.

Henrik Skaug Sætra is a political scientist with a broad and interdisciplinary background and approach, mainly focusing on the political, ethical, and social implications of technology. He focuses specifically on the sustainability-related impacts of AI and has previously published a book and several articles on AI and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Chapter 1 - Introduction: The Promise and Pitfalls of Techno-solutionism Henrik Skaug Sætra Chapter 2 - Key Concepts: Technology and Sustainable Development Henrik Skaug Sætra Chapter 3 - Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Solutions: Placing the Climate Emergency at the Center of AI Developments Benedetta Brevini Chapter 4 - Sustainable Climate Engineering Innovation and the Need for Accountability Marianna Capasso and Steven Umb rello Chapter 5 - Shinigami Eyes and Social Media Labeling as a Technology for Self-care Henrik Skaug Sætra and Jo Ese Chapter 6 - Lessons to Be Learnt? Education, Techno-solutionism, and Sustainable Development Neil Selwyn Chapter 7 - Virtual Reality and Autism Anders Dechsling and Anders Nordahl-Hansen Chapter 8 - The Technologically Sustained Digital Divide Erlend Ingridsønn Nordrum Chapter 9 - Spot on SDG 5: Addressing Gender (In-)equality Within and With AI Marisa Tschopp and Hanan Salam Chapter 10 - A Legal Sustainability Approach to Align the Order of Rules and Actions in the Context of Digital Innovation Eduard Fosc h-Villaronga, Hadass ah Drukarch, and Marco Giraudo Chapter 11 - Governing Toward Sustainable Development: From a Path-Dependent Transition to a Disruptive One Lilja Mósesdóttir and Ivar Jonsson Chapter 12 - Capitalism, Sustainability, and Democracy Harald Borgebund Chapter 13 - Nudging Policy or Crowding It Out? Green Nudges as Ideational Technologies Stuart Mills and Richard Whittle Chapter 14 - The Fallacy of Disruptive Technologies and the Primacy of Politics: Sustainable Development Goals as an Example Imad Antoine Ibrahim Chapter 15 - Technology and the Distribution of Power Faridun Sattarov Chapter 16 - What Does Data Valuation Literature Tell Us About Methods and Dimensions? Implications for City Data Marketplaces Petter Kvalvik, Mary Sánchez-Gordón, and Ricardo Colomo-Palacios Chapter 17 - Techno-solutionism Facing Post-liberal Oligarchy Ivar Jonss on and Lilja Mósesdóttir Chapter 18 - The Role of Technology in Alternatives to Growth-Based Sustainable Development Henrik Skaug Sætra Chapter 19 - Conclusion: The Promise and Pitfalls of Techno-solutionism for Sustainable Development Henrik Skaug Sætra