TEDxSwarthmore - Corinna Lathan - Innovation, Empathy, and the Future of Human-Machine Interaction

The interaction between humans and technology has changed drastically in the last 20 years. This relationship shapes our society in positive and negative ways, and the next 20 years promises to bring about even more profound changes.

Perhaps you remember the "Borg Collective" from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg used neural interfaces to connect every member of their society to each other and their leader. What if instead of a dictatorial society, the Borg had used their neural interconnections to create an advanced egalitarian society?

They didn't. But maybe we can.

As founder and CEO of AnthroTronix Inc., Corinna Lathan's ('88) work with children with disabilities has been featured in Forbes, Time, and The New Yorker and has led to her being named one of MIT Technology Review's "Top 100 World Innovators" and Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business." Lathan also is the founder of Keys to Empowering Youth, an engineering mentoring program for young girls.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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  News & Politics

[Nilmini Rubin]

Wow. What a great glimpse of our future!

[robotoolify]

A few peer reviewed articles (vs. internet gossip) will verify the accuracy of Dr. Lathan's claim:

David, P. A. (1985). Clio and the Economics of QWERTY. The American economic review, 75(2), 332-337.

Kinkead, R. (1975). Typing speed, keying rates, and optimal keyboard layouts. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting.

Noyes, J. (1983). The QWERTY keyboard: A review. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 18(3), 265-281.

[robotoolify]

This was almost as eye (and brain) opening as it was uplifting. It's refreshing to see someone of such intellect, talent, and goodwill presenting the POSITIVE side of human emotion rather than simply trying to compensate for negative aspects of human emotion with the rational machine juggernaut...

[Amy Lazarus]

Cori expertly provides the importance of - and existing avenues for - optimizing human potential by working together, and with human-centered design, to solve our shared problems. The blend of empathy and innovation through this combined tech/human approach is the key to unlocking a "good society", and Lathan's work exemplifies that hope and potential.

[Larry Hettinger]

A really terrific talk that not only provides a nice overview of the lay of the land (i.e., human-machine, human-computer interaction) but also describes some of the more interesting avenues in which this critical area is headed. I especially liked the discussion on empathy in human-computer interaction design and use - dovetails nicely with another area, i.e., the design of adaptive human-computer interface technology. Great talk!

[Lauren Stanley]

So refreshing to hear a solid and resounding call for being masters of our tools (technology) rather than the other way around, with the full weight of Corinna's work behind it. We've seen what we get with a blind faith in the power of technology. Far more radical is to lodge it in the context of awareness of our larger human family. My favorite line: every problem is worth solving because every problem is shared. Now that's cutting edge!

[Bethany Shine]

Another great TEDx Talk! Shedding light on technology for a bright future.

[Sarah Pekkanen]

The ideas presented here were so clear and compelling, even for someone like me with no background in technology. It was especially fascinating to learn how technology can help autistic children and kids with physical disabilities form connections. I love the focus on innovation and empathy and the vision Corinna has for our future!

[lmnada13]

Fascinating ideas here. This practical, heart-centered approach to technology -- using it to solve human problems that matter, within the context of morality -- is right on the money. These are the discussions we SHOULD be having in this society. Very big thumbs up.

[JazzMo64]

Really fascinating ideas! I've followed Cosmobot and therapy applications for children with autism and cerebral palsy - amazed at how far this technology has come. I'm now even more amazed considering these possibilities for the future both in therapeutic application and ability to measure neurophysiological results. The idea of a greater connection between mind and machine is visionary! Thank you Dr. Lathan! Great to see a scientist and mother devoting her talents to solving such issues.