«Утопающие в данных»: индивидуальный и институциональный кризис как результат масштабной цифровизации

Abstract

The following work is a commentary on the article “Digitalization challenges for technogenic civilization” written by Evgeniy Maslanov. The main focus here is on an individual, facing the new experience of digital world as an average user and a researcher at the same time. New technical tools, which have been put into use throughout history of humanity, require continual redefinition by a human being of himself/herself in the world and in multiple professional fields. Nevertheless, one of the most drastic issues in question is whether a virtual personality could be considered as an “extension” of a real life human, or it represents a “digital twin”. With any position accepted, digital systems initiate a certain order of power relations, where digital “footprints” assemble into personal biographies. This fact challenges not only personal privacy, but also existential conti-nuity of humanity. At the level of scientific research, one of the major disputes centers on data collection and its claim for the leading methodological strategy of science today. This study argues that the dispute only illustrates transitional period related to approbation of new data algorithms. Therefore, it is in no way a substitution of theoretical level of science with empirical knowledge. Nevertheless, the issue that caught E. Maslanov’s attention is extremely valuable. The new “big data” tools require competence, which becomes the key factor of adequate methodological improvements and scientific conceptualization.