Introduction to Part 2

Introduction to Part 2

The use of the term “connected” implies the existence of technological means of connection. There are promises associated with this word, “connected”: capturing or inputting information, allowing adapted individual or collective actions or reactions as well as the development of knowledge. This having been said, the aim here is to understand how and to what extent these promises are realized in practice. To understand the aspirations and potential deceptions, it is necessary to tackle issues such as the relationship between the imaginations of users, citizens, patients and professionals and the representations of the designers, on the one hand, as well as the theoretical and practical limits of implemented devices on the other hand. This gap influences the perceived value of these solutions: it must be based on facts and must therefore be measured. The result of the measurement is often meant to be shared. However, this sharing does not mean that the resulting knowledge is equally distributed. The introduction of connected devices leads to a modification of the relationship between actors, as well as a potential evolution of their roles and responsibilities: these aspects are covered in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5, we will focus on the devices that are connected within the real world and allow the collection of data, with or without human interaction and according to different time scales. Chapter 6 goes back to the processing of massive data: artificial intelligence and algorithms, the potential and limits of which will be briefly presented.