Computer Science in Economics

In “The Next Phase in the Digital Revolution”, John Zysman and Martin Kenney are discussing the impact of advanced computational abilities, from artificial intelligence to online marketplaces such as Uber and Amazon, in the economy. Cloud based computing and advanced data storage, thanks to advancements in computer science, have accelerated the amount of data we van store and the amount of people that can access such data. This offers more jobs to people that are able to code and understand the technology as well as offering a new way to make a living such as making your own website and selling your own products via the internet which people, such as Jeff Bezos, have done.  They also raise questions about the regulations governing these sites and online marketplaces. For Example, apps such as Uber, an app that allows everyday people to taxi people around a city, or AirBnB, an app that allows house owners to rent out rooms, have no regulations to prevent discrimination while city funded taxi services have to provide equal service to everyone no matter their race, age, gender, or sexual orientation as well as places such as hotels and inns. The digital revolution sparks a lot of questions from who governs the internet and what regulations should be put forth. Whether or not any regulation at all should be used to govern the internet. The internet is ever expanding and a decision needs to be made whether or not the rules that govern it will have to as well in order to keep it from growing out of hand due to illegal activity, discrimination, and inequality.