{"id":52791,"date":"2024-09-14T15:43:37","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T13:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fhi.nl\/?post_type=news&p=52791"},"modified":"2024-10-17T13:56:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T11:56:45","slug":"diederik-jekel-over-de-kracht-van-communicatie-in-technologie","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/fhi.nl\/en\/news\/diederik-jekel-over-de-kracht-van-communicatie-in-technologie\/","title":{"rendered":"Diederik Jekel on the power of communication in technology"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\tDiederik Jekel on the power of communication in technology\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\t
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At a time when major social issues are strongly linked to technology, science journalist Diederik Jekel points out the responsibility of FHI members. \u201cIf you make, buy or sell something that is used by millions of people, then you have an impact. And that brings responsibility.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The FHI general meeting traditionally concludes with a lecture by a renowned speaker. This year, science journalist Diederik Jekel. He emphasizes the importance of communication in science and technology, because, as Diederik states: the success of a technological application depends on communication.<\/p>\n

Cheese sauce<\/h4>\n

\u201cImagine you\u2019re at a birthday party and you\u2019re explaining what your job entails. Do you get that glazed look from your conversation partner?\u201d A laugh of recognition rises from the audience. \u201cWith every form of communication, it\u2019s important to think about who you\u2019re talking to and what you want to achieve. Adjust your story accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

An image of broccoli appears on the screen. \u201cSuppose you sell broccoli. One person wants a fatty cheese sauce on it, another oriental herbs. The trick is to find the right topping.\u201d Diederik applies the same principle to communication. \u201cYou have to step into the world of your listener. Good communication starts with an interest in the other person. Remember that you can adjust how you talk, but not how the other person listens. You might have chosen the wrong sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cat or dog?<\/h4>\n

Under the motto \u201cWe are nerds among ourselves and we love technology,\u201d Diederik takes the audience back to basics. With a clear explanation, he reduces the operation of computers to simple switches. \u201cWith all due respect to programmers, but programming is not that complicated,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, programmers do have to come up with solutions for things that are difficult to capture in rules,\u201d Diederik continues. \u201cFor context, you need a new statistical distribution.\u201d He explains, using large language models, that it is precisely the context that is problematic. A computer cannot do anything with words; they have to be converted into numbers. Every piece of information is given a value.<\/p>\n

Time to get to work. He gets the audience moving with a game. Pictures of dogs and cats appear on the screen. Diederik asks the audience to decide whether we have a dog or a cat in front of us. The images get smaller and smaller, but even at 17\u00d717 pixels the audience unanimously knows the right answer. People can do this through a special combination of light, eyes, neurons and years of training.<\/p>\n

How does a computer do this? By weighing each piece of information and assigning it a value. There are always only a limited number of considerations, but the weighting of the considerations ultimately determines what the computer sees. Based on the weighting, the computer comes to a conclusion. \u201cIn fact, the computer does nothing more than what your neurons in your brain do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brick<\/h4>\n

Many major social issues are coming our way with a strong technological component. The adoption of technologies depends on our communication, Diederik concludes. \u201cEvery invention is like a brick: you can build a house with it or bash someone\u2019s head in \u2013 it depends on how you use it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diederik addresses the audience directly: \u201cYou have more impact on society than the baker on the corner. If you make, buy or sell something that is used by millions of people, then you have an impact. And that brings responsibility.\u201d And with this message Diederik ends as he began his story.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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