Impacts, Data, and Decentralized Systems

This unit examines how emerging technologies—automation, quantum computing, blockchain-based smart contracts, and decentralized autonomous organizations—affect production, productivity, property, labor markets, and data-driven decision making. Students evaluate sources of data, identify and propose mitigations for bias and discrimination, and explore governance and design choices that promote equitable outcomes.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the effects of automation and advanced computing (including quantum computing) on manufacturing, production workflows, productivity metrics, and physical real estate by comparing case studies and projecting short- and long-term impacts
• Evaluate potential job displacement and workforce transformation by identifying roles at risk, estimating economic impacts, and proposing reskilling or policy interventions to mitigate negative outcomes
• Apply principles of data provenance, collection methods, and dataset auditing to assess sources of data and detect forms of bias or discrimination, producing recommendations to improve fairness and data quality
• Demonstrate understanding of decentralized technologies (smart contracts and DAOs) by outlining governance models, security and legal considerations, and designing a brief prototype governance or contract solution that addresses equity and accountability