>what I think is the biggest dilemma is that users need to have a certain level of knowledge in order to understand what their devices are doing and control them; but many don't want to; they only see the advantages and don't care about how something works
This is why regulation is important. Most people don't care what their phone tattles about them to their provider. Similarly, most people don't read the ingredient list on their food.
But the ingredient list /has/ to be there, by regulation, and because it is, small numbers of people can post analysis that guides the entire population.
We need similar regulation over computerized devices, and that's everything from desktop computers through phones to self-driving cars and smart fire alarms.
Precisely. Especially as these devices start making important legal and philosophical choices... such as the self driving car that needs to choose between swerving and hitting an elderly person on the sidewalk vs. running over a child that has darted out into the road. We HAVE to be able to know what kind of programming these things have if we are to maintain any semblance of humanity and morality.
This is why regulation is important. Most people don't care what their phone tattles about them to their provider. Similarly, most people don't read the ingredient list on their food.
But the ingredient list /has/ to be there, by regulation, and because it is, small numbers of people can post analysis that guides the entire population.
We need similar regulation over computerized devices, and that's everything from desktop computers through phones to self-driving cars and smart fire alarms.