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This paper explores the resurgence of anti-scientism in contemporary debates surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Data, and Generative AI, drawing parallels with 20th-century Czech philosophical critiques of scientism. The work of Czech intellectuals such as Tomáš G. Masaryk, Karel Čapek, Josef Šafařík, Jan Patočka, and Václav Havel is revisited to understand how their concerns about the dominance of scientific rationalism remain relevant today. The paper critiques both the blind faith in science as a comprehensive solution to complex human problems and the reductive dismissal of science as a tool of control. It argues for a nuanced middle ground that recognizes the value of scientific inquiry while also emphasizing ethical, spiritual, and humanistic considerations. By engaging with these Czech perspectives, the paper proposes a framework for critically navigating the interplay between ethics, technology, and human values in the face of contemporary challenges such as pandemics, AI, and climate change. This approach challenges both scientific and anti-scientific extremism and advocates for a balanced discourse that integrates wonder, ethics, and critical inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores reskilling, appearing both as a practice and a signifier in social media. By investigating reskilling narratives, this paper describes origins, actors and relation to skill. It contributes by first suggesting that reskilling is a process rather than a specific training form or about specific skill content. Second, individuals and organisations are simultaneously and paradoxically sold reskilling, but their interests do not always align. On social media, reskilling stands as a corporate (and societal) signifier of action as well as an opportunity for advertising employer brands. Third, through a technology‐deterministic frame, reskilling can be understood as a signifier of optimism, that is, turning pessimism in the shape of possible displacement into optimism where society, organisations and people may 'keep up' with technological change. Thus, reskilling can be understood to materialise optimism, and that optimism is an attempt at the restoration of human agency on an inevitabilist path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the concept of techno-economic institutions within institutional economics, focusing on the integration of technologies into economic frameworks to foster development. The primary objective is to introduce and advocate for the novel concept of “techno-economic institutions,” which is essential for embedding technologies into the socio-economic environment. This research employs a comprehensive methodological approach, including theoretical analysis, literature review, comparative studies, and case studies, to develop a new analytical model and provide fresh insights. The key findings include a comparative analysis of the interplay between institutions and technologies, a variational model detailing the life cycles of General-Purpose Technologies (GPTs), and an in-depth examination of institutional roles. The econometric models developed in this study demonstrate the significant impact of ICT patents and SCM systems on government efficiency, empirically validating the proposed theoretical framework. This paper contributes to the academic discourse by offering a methodologically robust and empirically substantiated examination of technological advancements in institutional frameworks, highlighting the importance of flexible institutional structures capable of adapting to technological change. These insights provide actionable recommendations for policymakers and suggest strategic investments in technological infrastructure to enhance government performance. Future research should explore the generalizability of these findings in different institutional contexts and examine variability in technology-institution interactions across diverse geopolitical landscapes. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-022 Full Text: PDF

Generative AI applications have played an increasingly significant role in real-time tracking applications in many domains including, for example, healthcare, consultancy, dialog boxes (common types of window in a graphical user interface of operating systems), monitoring systems, and emergency response. This paper considers generative AI and presents an approach which combines hedge algebra and a multilingual large language model to find hidden rules in big data for ChatGPT. We present a novel method for extracting natural language knowledge from large datasets by leveraging fuzzy sets and hedge algebra to extract these rules, presented in meta data for ChatGPT and generative AI applications. The proposed model has been developed to minimize the computational and staff costs for medium-sized enterprises which are typically resource and time limited. The proposed model has been designed to automate question–response interactions for rules extracted from large data in a multiplicity of domains. The experimental results show that the proposed model performs well using datasets associated with specific domains in healthcare to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The ChatGPT application in case studies of healthcare is tested using datasets for English and Vietnamese languages. In comparative experimental testing, the proposed model outperformed the state of the art, achieving in the range of 96.70–97.50% performance using a heart dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of legal practice has been based predominantly on geographical boundaries. To varying degrees, foreign lawyers are prohibited from engaging in the practice of law in host jurisdictions without local admission, and in some cases with the added complexity of nationality or residency requirements. This is notwithstanding that increasing international trade and other transnational activities, enabled by advancements in technology that facilitate efficient transportation and communication, are creating a growing demand for legal services across borders. While much has been written about how technology is changing the nature of legal practice, the approach taken by this article is to assess whether technology is playing this change-role in a solely deterministic manner. In examining this question, this article applies soft technological determinism to argue that, while technology is an important factor, it does not have a mono-causal effect in shaping changes to cross-border legal practice. Rather, these changes are being influenced by an interplay of technological progress and non-technological factors such as similarities in legal systems, harmonisation of laws and trade affiliations.

If we are to understand the premises at the core of debates regarding the philosophy of technology, as in the works of several prominent figures such as Marcuse, Ellul, and Habermas, we must confront Heidegger's philosophical legacy. Based on a broad overview of early and later Heidegger, and some of his notable followers, we argue that Heidegger's philosophy of technology created a problematic intellectual legacy. This resulted not only from his well-known political involvement with the Nazi regime but arguably from the philosophical structure that enables such political views to be grounded in his thought. We argue that Heidegger's understanding of technology as possessing an essence [Wesen], which arises from his interpretation of metaphysics as onto-theology, continues to serve as the point of departure for technological discourse. This article traces the infrastructure of 'Heideggerian Intellectualism' that accepts the totality of technology as a form of thinking and yet entails multiple fluctuations regarding how we are coerced to engage with metaphysics, making it difficult to evaluate its contributions or limits. In the framework of the rapid technological changes underway at present and the concerns regarding them, there is a tendency to once again delve into Heidegger's thought on this matter. This article attempts to demonstrate that such a tendency also entails a certain degree of danger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of legal practice has been based predominantly on geographical boundaries. To varying degrees, foreign lawyers are prohibited from engaging in the practice of law in host jurisdictions without local admission, and in some cases with the added complexity of nationality or residency requirements. This is notwithstanding that increasing international trade and other transnational activities, enabled by advancements in technology that facilitate efficient transportation and communication, are creating a growing demand for legal services across borders. While much has been written about how technology is changing the nature of legal practice, the approach taken by this article is to assess whether technology is playing this change-role in a solely deterministic manner. In examining this question, this article applies soft technological determinism to argue that, while technology is an important factor, it does not have a mono-causal effect in shaping changes to cross-border legal practice. Rather, these changes are being influenced by an interplay of technological progress and non-technological factors such as similarities in legal systems, harmonisation of laws and trade affiliations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and its consequential lockdown led to the closure of tertiary institutions across the globe. The closure had severe implications by stopping academic staff from going to work and performing their jobs. However, to navigate the implication of the closure of tertiary institutions on teaching and learning, ICT and its accessories were leveraged to enable the academic staff to work remotely. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the adoption of ICT in cushioning the effect of the pandemic on the performance of academic staff in tertiary institutions, using Enugu State as a study base. Technological determinism theory was employed in the analysis. The methodology used is a cross-sectional survey that leveraged qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected using both primary and secondary sources. The population of the study is 8,034, with a sample size of 381. However, 312 questionnaires were used after retrieval from the respondents; sorting, cleaning, and scoring. We coded and analyzed the data using descriptive statistics from the IBM SPSS version 28.0, leveraging tables, percentages, and content analysis. The study adopted a Chi-Square (X²) test of hypotheses. Findings revealed that tertiary institutions leveraged ICT to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on academic staff performance, work-life balance, training and development, and safety during the pandemic. The study recommends full digitization of tertiary institutions, staff training and re-training, adequate funding, constant power supply, and development of indigenous capacity in ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChatGPT plays significant roles in the third decade of the 21st Century. Smart cities applications can be integrated with ChatGPT in various fields. This research proposes an approach for developing large language models using generative artificial intelligence models suitable for small- and medium-sized enterprises with limited hardware resources. There are many generative AI systems in operation and in development. However, the technological, human, and financial resources required to develop generative AI systems are impractical for small- and medium-sized enterprises. In this study, we present a proposed approach to reduce training time and computational cost that is designed to automate question–response interactions for specific domains in smart cities. The proposed model utilises the BLOOM approach as its backbone for using generative AI to maximum the effectiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises. We have conducted a set of experiments on several datasets associated with specific domains to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Experiments using datasets for the English and Vietnamese languages have been combined with model training using low-rank adaptation to reduce training time and computational cost. In comparative experimental testing, the proposed model outperformed the 'Phoenix' multilingual chatbot model by achieving a 92% performance compared to 'ChatGPT' for the English benchmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of e-Education Research is the property of Northwest Normal University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This scholarly inquiry undertakes an examination of the enduring discourse surrounding technological determinism and its profound influence on the trajectory of cultural change. Within this multifaceted discourse, the study places a central emphasis on the transformative potential of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), and their implications for cultural evolution and the preservation of human identity. Furthermore, this analysis extends its purview to consider the ethical dimensions inherent in the deployment of AI and the critical role played by cultural diversity in the ethical assessment of these technologies. Drawing on seminal works within the field, the discussion grapples with the conceptualization of technological determinism, echoing the insights of scholars such as Winner and McLuhan. While proponents of technological determinism posit that emerging technologies, such as AI, act as agents of cultural transformation, their perspectives are juxtaposed against those who perceive a perilous erosion of cultural diversity. In this context, the study critically engages with Winner's "Autonomous Technology" to elucidate the socio-political ramifications of technological determinism, underscoring the need for a balanced ethical assessment. Ethical considerations applied to AI occupy a prominent place in this discourse. Cognizant of the transformative power of AI, scholars such as Bostrom and Floridi have probed into the ethical dimensions of AI deployment. The study reflects on their findings, highlighting the imperative of ethical vigilance in the development and application of AI technologies. It contends that ethical assessments of AI must be inherently bound to the preservation and enhancement of cultural diversity, thereby ensuring the equitable distribution of AI's benefits. This analysis further delves into the existing digital divide and its intricate interplay with the ethical evaluation of AI. It acknowledges the sobering reality that unequal access to technology exacerbates social disparities. As articulated by DiMaggio and Hargittai, the digital divide reinforces existing inequities, underscoring the ethical imperative of addressing access disparities in the deployment of AI. In conclusion, this study advances a nuanced understanding of technological determinism's role in cultural evolution and the pivotal importance of cultural diversity in the ethical evaluation of AI. It underscores the ethical duty to mitigate disparities in access to technology, thereby ensuring a more equitable and culturally diverse future in the age of AI.

In the first phase, the eruption of the Internet was embraced by academics who saw it as a way of involving young people in politics who had suffered from disaffection and rejection. They emphasized its emancipatory, horizontal, and participatory qualities. Decades later, a wave of disenchantment, apathy, and rejection of platforms has swept through the academy. The previous generation of technological determinists, who welcomed it with open arms, left the arena to their counterparts: the ones that claimed that we had no chance of participation and perpetuated industrial age exploitation. In this article, we will present the two opposite visions, but first, we will briefly review the Internet's beginnings, its motivations, and its technical characteristics in order to better understand the two antagonistic positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military AI optimists predict future AI assisting or making command decisions. We instead argue that, at a fundamental level, these predictions are dangerously wrong. The nature of war demands decisions based on abductive logic, whilst machine learning (or 'narrow AI') relies on inductive logic. The two forms of logic are not interchangeable, and therefore AI's limited utility in command – both tactical and strategic – is not something that can be solved by more data or more computing power. Many defence and government leaders are therefore proceeding with a false view of the nature of AI and of war itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's age, we see the increasing influence of technology on people, which begs to raise the question: "Is society determined by technology?" Rising up within the constraints of each society, technology had its limitations, as it catered to the needs and interests of the masses. As society evolved, so did its requirements. We are at a stage where dependence on technology has gone through the roof with new innovations coming up in the sector, the rise of artificial intelligence, for instance. Technology has replaced the concept of being a mere tool and is creating/demanding space of its own. With advancements in various fields like robotics which churn out machines that can mimic human behaviour and are equipped with anthropomorphic features, it has become rather difficult to view them as mere commodities waiting for one's (human master's) command. Keeping this in view, the paper primarily focuses on the relationship between society and technology, with special emphasis on artificial intelligence, through an analysis of the films Ra One (Bollywood), Android Kunjappan (Mollywood), and Ironman 3 (Hollywood). Secondarily, an experimental study was carried out to know the perception of the Engineering students, the future technologists, who are the stakeholders of the 21st-century technological world, with an aim to know their perception of technology and bring an awareness of the limitations of technology and its role in the creation of utopian and dystopian world. Finally, the paper examines the consequence of technological determinism and autonomy from a colonial perspective and intends to bring preparedness among the students to perceive technology conscious of its limitation and bring harmony between society and technology that leads towards building a utopian world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) using the social construction of technology (SCOT) model, observing the social actors affected by this technology with influence to decide their future. The results indicate that the success of GenAI does not have a neutral origin but is conditioned by the interests of various social actors. However, it also suggests that this technology is in a phase of interpretive flexibility; that is, the affected groups are still deciding their position on GenAI and what it could be like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the innumerable suggestions of the book-prism Understanding Media, one of the most significant legacies, strongly re-presented as a key to analysing the relationships between technologies and the metamorphosis of society, coincides with technological determinism. Strongly contested in subsequent media studies as a manifestation of reductionism, technodeterminism appears to be a highly topical and useful conceptual tool for observing the conceptions of the main actors in Platform Society and Artificial Intelligence. Through Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan transforms the determinism of the Toronto School into a philosophy of history of the same intensity as Marxian determinism. Technological determinism can thus be regarded as the "ultimate ideology", the one professed by the Big Tech tycoons, who place themselves in relation to public discourse and media system in the guise of prophetic leaders indicating new horizons of destiny for humanity. In this context, McLuhan's general conceptual perspective can be interpreted as an original matrix of the "Californian Ideology". This article, with a focus on discourse analysis and the framing of the topic from a sociology of communication and social theory perspective, aims to analyse the genesis and characteristics of the technological determinism elaborated by McLuhan by comparing it, in terms of long duration, permanence and returns, with that expressed by the Californian Ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the dynamic realm of online gaming, sustaining player engagement and immersion within a virtual environment is paramount for both the player community and game developers. World of Warcraft (WoW), a prominent massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has experienced considerable evolution since its inception in 2004. As gaming technologies advance and player expectations shift, a variety of media platforms, such as forums, social networks, and streaming services, have surfaced, playing a pivotal role in augmenting the WoW gaming experience. This study delves into the impact of different versions of WoW on the players' content experience, focusing on how these media platforms influence player engagement, communication strategies, and problem-solving approaches. Employing qualitative research methods, particularly in-depth interviews, this paper weaves a comprehensive narrative that sheds light on the intersection of technological evolution and gaming experiences. Our findings indicate that the specific version of WoW plays a critical role in shaping player interactions and problem-solving methods. The Classic WoW iteration fosters a sense of community and interaction, necessitating collaboration and the use of external resources. In contrast, Modern WoW has streamlined gameplay mechanics, thereby reducing the emphasis on collaborative efforts and the role of community within the game. This research underscores the fluid nature of social dynamics within the game, evolving in response to the changing preferences and expectations of the player base.

Relevance. The socio-philosophical analysis of the current phase of social development is carried out in view of occurrence of “digital society”, which is being formed under the influence of development and integration of cutting-edge technologies of different scientific branches and production industries. This leads to transformation of social environment and rise of the new mode of development. Aim. Interpretation and anticipation of current and coming state of digital society, thought of as a new stage of post-industrial development; reveal of reasons of transfer from industrial mode of development to informational one and pursuit of relation between modes of development and modes of production; determination of the role of digital and information technology in the process of the transfer; identification of the mode of production relevant to the informational mode of development. Results. The paper demonstrates the formation of the theory of post-industrial society. Its relationship with the Marxian theory of social development is detected. The authors have carried out phenomenological analysis of “digital society” concept and revealed its correlation to “post-industrial society” and “information society” concepts. The socio-philosophical analysis of social development phases as evolutionary stages of digital society is carried out from the view point of the theory of post-industrial society. Conclusions. The theory of postindustrial society can be used for explaining and anticipating social and economic tendencies, emerging under the influence of transformative technologies of the “fourth industrial revolution”. No direct dependency between mode of production and mode of development has been detected, though processes of capitalism restructuring and informationalism development correlate with each other: the transfer from the industrial mode of development to the informational one is caused by logic and interests of advanced capitalism, but not confined to them. It is notable that digital and information technologies were not the root cause of the transfer, though contributed to it in the long term. The development mode concomitant to the informational mode of development is defined as “informational capitalism”.

Global technological transformations of key areas of life of contemporary society, the formation and active functioning of global and national digital institutions that influence current socio-political processes, and the digitalization of social relations form a demand for comprehensive scientific research on the processes of digital influence on the development and functioning of modern social systems. This article is aimed at considering the problem of the relationship between digital and worldview aspects of the functioning of modern societies. In connection with this, the research issue was to determine the degree and nature of the influence of digitalization processes, as well as directly the digital environment and institutions on the content aspects of the individual’s worldview. This research question is directly related to the study of the phenomenon of public consent in the context of the formation of digital polymentality. To answer the research question posed in the paper, the authors conducted a discourse analysis of the existing scientific literature on the relationship between digitalization and worldview in the pro et contra logic. An international expert study was also conducted, which made it possible to identify the main expert positions on the study, as well as the key risks, threats, and challenges in the field of preserving the traditional worldview and achieving public consent based on the unity of value-semantic and worldview ideas of individuals. The main conclusion of the paper is the fundamental ambiguity of the positions of scientists and experts, justified by the results of the study, in assessing the degree and nature of the influence of digitalization, the digital environment and institutions on the content parameters of the worldview of a modern person, as well as the ambiguity of the value-semantic attitudes formed and maintained in the digital environment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already become a ubiquitous and autonomous force transforming our society and how humans interact with the world around them and each other. The staggering development and widespread of AI technology in the last decade raise debates on its evolution potential and social anxiety concerns about its detrimental effects. Techno-optimists expect AI to evolve into a sentient and conscious entity, reaching and surpassing humanlevel and thus challenging our understanding of the world and the fundamental principles of our society. This paper provides theological reflections on AI evolution and its effects on society and Christian spiritual life. It discusses the risks of AI hindering man’s spiritual ascent towards God by autonomously shaping man and society in its image, as expressed by advocates of technological determinism. Finally, it proposes an authentic and liberating Christian viewpoint on AI and today’s disruptive technologies by employing a patristic perspective.

This research looked at the achievement of sustainable development in Nigeria with focus on the role of ICT. The specific objectives are to: show the relevance of ICT towards realizing sustainable development in Nigeria; identify the challenges of utilizing ICT for sustainable development in Nigeria and proffer solutions on how to improve ICT for sustainable development in Nigeria. The theory of technological determinism was utilized as framework for analysis. The documentary method using secondary sources were adopted to gather or collect data, while the qualitative method was used to for analysis. This study revealed that effective utilization of ICT will facilitate sustainable development in Nigeria. This is because ICT has proved to be a catalyst for promotion of good governance, national security, productivity of public sector, educational development, employment opportunities, food security, democracy and facilitation of health services. In addition, it was observed that high cost of ICT services, inadequate infrastructure, issue of power supply, poor ICT literacy and cybersecurity issues are factors that posed challenge to ICT utilization in Nigeria. Therefore, the study suggested for provision of infrastructure, adequate resources or fund, need for adequate spread of ICT and development of adequate security technology etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between mass media and its audience, specifically in Nigeria where this field is under-studied. Since its debut in 1959 as a medium of domestic entertainment, television in Nigeria has been a wonderland for new vistas and foreign and strange concepts that became trendsetters for viewers' astonishment and enthusiastic lifestyle emulation. This study uses qualitative methods, including Key Informant Interviews and secondary analysis, to explore cross-dressing as a cultural phenomenon. The theoretical framework is based on the gratification and technological determinism theories. The study examines how technological advancements have enabled the normalization of "sophisticated, imported" options in entertainment culture. The paper explores gender fluidity and identity blurring in the artist's perception. The findings showed that the incursion of technology, especially television and its more sophisticated variant, social media, are the purveyors of democratized ideas of individual identity and blurred sexuality profiling that disrupted existentialist binary notions. The study results also showed that cross-dressing, as employed in skit-making, has earned respect on the employment index of the creative sector and art community. Tech shapes youth culture, paving way for new norms in human relationships and personal expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Political Science Review / Przegląd Politologiczny is the property of Faculty of Political Science & Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article argues that the expansion of new communication technologies leads to a globally perceptible semantic development. The essence of this is that in the environment of new media, orality and multimediality, which are gaining an increasing role in communication, lead to the image of language in the sense of meaning, and to the development of new language usage habits that determine both the process of thinking and the structure of consciousness. These language usage habits significantly contribute to the rapid changes in community roles associated with multi-channel communication, the convergence of different community languages – and communication situations, the blurring of community boundaries, i.e. the mediatization of communities. What’s more, the birth of the new concept of community and the creation of new community forms is also the source of the language that is transforming in the medium of new media, whose figurative nature leaves deep traces in the structure of the consciousness of the communicating person, in his image of himself and the community relations that determine his communicative actions. As I try to highlight in this essay, all of this presupposes the development of hitherto unknown patterns of linguistic creativity. Using language games, abbreviations, humor, picture-word combinations, which are becoming more and more common tools with the use of new communication technologies, everyday language users communicate with each other as creative designers of language meaning. Linguistic creativity becomes a community-forming phenomenon of everyday language use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative AI applications have played an increasingly significant role in real-time tracking applications in many domains including, for example, healthcare, consultancy, dialog boxes (common types of window in a graphical user interface of operating systems), monitoring systems, and emergency response. This paper considers generative AI and presents an approach which combines hedge algebra and a multilingual large language model to find hidden rules in big data for ChatGPT. We present a novel method for extracting natural language knowledge from large datasets by leveraging fuzzy sets and hedge algebra to extract these rules, presented in meta data for ChatGPT and generative AI applications. The proposed model has been developed to minimize the computational and staff costs for medium-sized enterprises which are typically resource and time limited. The proposed model has been designed to automate question–response interactions for rules extracted from large data in a multiplicity of domains. The experimental results show that the proposed model performs well using datasets associated with specific domains in healthcare to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The ChatGPT application in case studies of healthcare is tested using datasets for English and Vietnamese languages. In comparative experimental testing, the proposed model outperformed the state of the art, achieving in the range of 96.70–97.50% performance using a heart dataset.

ChatGPT plays significant roles in the third decade of the 21st Century. Smart cities applications can be integrated with ChatGPT in various fields. This research proposes an approach for developing large language models using generative artificial intelligence models suitable for small- and medium-sized enterprises with limited hardware resources. There are many generative AI systems in operation and in development. However, the technological, human, and financial resources required to develop generative AI systems are impractical for small- and medium-sized enterprises. In this study, we present a proposed approach to reduce training time and computational cost that is designed to automate question–response interactions for specific domains in smart cities. The proposed model utilises the BLOOM approach as its backbone for using generative AI to maximum the effectiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises. We have conducted a set of experiments on several datasets associated with specific domains to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Experiments using datasets for the English and Vietnamese languages have been combined with model training using low-rank adaptation to reduce training time and computational cost. In comparative experimental testing, the proposed model outperformed the ‘Phoenix’ multilingual chatbot model by achieving a 92% performance compared to ‘ChatGPT’ for the English benchmark.

Large corporations active in the field of educational technology shape needs, perceptions, attitudes, expectations, and values related to technology use in education. In order to better understand how these corporations frame the role of technology in educational settings, it is crucial to critically analyze how they present and promote their products and services. Through a discourse analysis approach, this study examined the homepages of two of the major players in educational technology, namely Google for Education and Microsoft Education. Findings show that the discourse put forth by these companies positions technology as a transformative agent that can revitalize a stagnant educational system. In this picture, teachers and students are presented as incomplete and lost beings on the path towards an alarmingly indeterminate future, which can be only overcome by the technologies and services offered by these corporations. The potential of these technologies is presented as limitless, low-cost, for everyone, and available anywhere and anytime. In this deterministic “technology as a solution” framework, technology is depicted as an inevitable choice for the advancement of people and society. This study shows that, by critically approaching and analyzing corporate discourse, students, teachers, and other stakeholders can develop an outlook that cuts through marketing strategies and the hype surrounding learning technologies. In turn, this can promote reflective practices, support decision-making processes, and redefine expectations related to the role of technology in education and society.

The article aims to conduct a historical review, with hermeneutical purposes, to discuss two relevant contributions to the development of a science and the establishment of a metadiscipline, whose significance and meaning were recognized belatedly. The first contribution we will address lies within the realm of communication studies, while the second one pertains to the realm of media ecology. In the first part, we highlight that Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), a seminal figure in media ecology, contributed to the recognition of media studies and communication studies within the scientific imagination by rejecting sociological determinism. In the second part, we refer to the fact that media ecology, the complex metadiscipline that emerged from McLuhan and Neil Postman's intellectual pursuits, focuses on analyzing the impact of technologies on cultural environments in societies throughout history. This field significantly expanded its conceptual framework by rediscovering general semantics, whose epistemological foundations were established by Alfred Korzybski in 1934. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of Twitter usage development in crisis communication in Türkiye during the 6 February 2023 by showing the development of its use during the 1999 Izmit and 2000 Izmir earthquakes. As well as its usage in the 48 h following the 2023 earthquake. It found that Twitter's positive determinism has evolved over time from gathering information to actively supporting victims' rescue. Twitter was crucial for finding casualties and providing on-the-ground updates during critical moments, confirming the media's surveillance function. During the first 48 h of the 2023 earthquake, Twitter significantly affected the rescue and relief activities, enabling individuals trapped beneath the debris to contact, seek, and receive assistance. Twitter's importance has increased in political communication by opinion leaders and government authorities, and President Erdoğan's engagement via Twitter was critical in expressing solidarity and coordinating rescue and relief efforts. This study concluded that Twitter has become an indispensable tool for obtaining and disseminating information, as well as aiding and identifying individuals in need. It was widely used by official accounts, informational accounts, and citizens, and effectively aiding rescue and relief efforts, especially in the first 48 h after the disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the social processes that have led to the consolidation of a technocratic secular order and the type of cultural struggle that has made this possible. To this end, it first proposes a reconstruction of the technocratic consciousness in the course of the secularization process that culminates in the technological determinism or technological solutionism of the social present; then, the analysis focuses on the neo-immanentist tendency of techno-functionalism, in which the secular context and the text of secularization become one and deplete a social explanation; thirdly, it reflects on and deals with the open nature of secular life, in which context does not determine social texts (inter-actions) and opens the way to the existence of different life options that compete with each other and even turn on—rebel against—institutional design. This reflection, then, focuses on the specific features of the culture wars in Western Judeo-Christian culture and its globalizing tendency. Finally, the document closes with a conclusion that analyzes the road travelled and introduces the new challenges arising from the arguments presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction sets out the context for the Special Issue and offers an in‐depth reflection on key themes addressed by our contributors. The Special Issue aims to place the social relations of production at the centre of debates about technology and the future of work, and create space for greater critical reflection on what it means to go 'beyond technological determinism'. We identify ways in which aspects of technological determinism continue to influence debates on technology, the labour process and industrial relations, despite efforts to reject it. We argue that this influence is manifested in some persistent problems within the literature including overly rigid periodisations (such as 'platform capitalism'), a narrow conceptual repertoire (which reifies notions like 'algorithmic control') and a constricted empirical focus. We elucidate the value of a social shaping of technology (SST) approach to overcome these challenges and provide a brief overview of the articles contained within the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social Sciences & Humanities Studies / Društvene i Humanističke Studije (DHS) is the property of Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Tuzla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the existing literature it is possible to find more and more research making a connection between artificial intelligence and international security. It is understandable having in mind that the development trends of modular and general artificial intelligence and their implementation in the domain of security threaten to lead to radical transformation of the manner in which military affairs are conducted. The research aim of this paper is to provide a review of the existing research that makes a connection between artificial intelligence and international security for the purpose of confirming the hypothesis that development and implementation of artificial intelligence announce the upcoming revolution in military affairs, which will transform the manners of the states' entering strategic interactions and mutually realizing them.