Data for a New Enlightenment
Data are the lifeblood of decision-making and the raw material for accountability. Without high-quality data providing the right information on the right things at the right time, designing, monitoring, and evaluating effective policies become almost impossible. Today there are unprecedented possibilities for informing and transforming society and protecting the environment. I describe the social science and computer architecture that will allow this data to be safely used to help adaptation to the new world of data, a world that is more fair, efficient, and inclusive, and that provides greater opportunities than ever before.
By Alex Pentland in Towards a New Enlightenment? A Transcendent Decade.