Philosophy of Big Data

Big data is growing as an area of information technology, service, and science, and so too is the need for its intellectual understanding and interpretation from a theoretical, philosophical, and societal perspective.

The ways that we conceptualize and act in the world are shifting now due to increasingly integrated big data flows from the continuously-connected multi-device computing layer that is covering the world. This connected computing layer includes wearables, Internet-of-Things (IOT) sensors, smartphones, tablets, laptops, Quantified Self-Tracking devices like the Fitbit, connected car, smarthome, and smartcity.

Through the connected computing world, big data services are facilitating the development of more efficient organizing mechanisms for the conduct and coordination of our interaction with reality.

One effect is that our stance is moving from being constrained to reactive response to now being able to engage in much more predictive action-taking in many areas of activity.

Another effect is that a more efficient world is being created, automating not just mechanical tasks, but also cognitive tasks. This paper discusses how a philosophy of big data might help in conceiving, creating, and transitioning to data-rich futures.

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