As new technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, and smart devices become part of everyday life, it's important to understand how they work and affect society. This course introduces these technologies in simple terms and explains how governments and regulators are adjusting their roles to keep things fair and safe for everyone. It’s a great starting point for anyone curious about tech and policy.

The digitization of societies and economies is continuously generating record amounts of data. Digitization is driven by increased and faster connectivity of people and things. Fibre to the home (FTTx) and fast mobile networks provide the opportunity to engage in digital activities, and social media and user-generated content provide the motivation for it. At the same time, more objects become “smart”, i.e. connected to the Internet to receive and send data. As a result of the explosion of data, new technologies have evolved that help to sift through data and derive value from combining and analyzing large data sets. These technologies are often described in umbrella terms such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.

The new technologies require ICT regulators to reconsider the tools they deploy to facilitate fair competition in the ICT sector and protect consumers. New technologies also pose legal, ethical, and macroeconomic challenges. Central banks, consumer protection agencies, competition commissions, and ICT regulators scramble to assess the implications for their fields of responsibility. The implication is that roles of sector-specific regulators such as for the ICT sector, water, electricity, and banking, and subject-specific regulators such as a consumer protection agency or the competition commission may need to be redrawn and, in some cases, more specialized regulators may need to be established.