How can technology better serve humans?
Calm Tech Café
"Calm technology" is a term coined by Mark Weiser at Xerox PARC more than 30 years ago. He was referring to common frustration with technology, which at the time was often complex and unintuitive. Today, calm technology is becoming a label for technologies that are less obtrusive and take a lower toll on our attention, our relationships and our bodies.
Many problems that face society today are heavily influenced by problematic technologies owned by large corporations, and business incentives that align poorly with democratic values. Urgent challenges to tackle include threats to privacy, agency, freedom of expression, healthy relationships, ownership of our own attention, and threats to healthy bodies and minds.
The ad-based “free” business model, combined with data tracking and persuasive features like "infinite scrolling", has resulted in business incentives that create various downstream problems for the users. The status quo is an unsustainable practice of design and development. There is now an immediate need for solutions that align technology with human well-being. Or, as EU’s Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, said in 2018: “Technology should serve humans, not the other way around.”
Despite the gloomy outlook, successful business examples and indicators of an ongoing shift do exist. One fitting example is the Norwegian company reMarkable, which sells an e-Ink tablet designed to foster focus and concentration. Other successful companies include the children's music player Toniebox or the e-ink-based Light Phone. More discussion, research and thinking is needed to figure out what has made these and other "calm-tech" (or "humane-tech") startups succeed.
In this meetup series, we will gather insights and experiences from researchers and industry, including startups, to try to figure out how technology can better serve humans. No sign-up necessary – just meet us in Parken Bakeri in Forskningsparken, typically on a Tuesday in the first half of each month. We'll serve free coffee and cinnamon buns.
Event organizers: Forskningsparken, SINTEF, Startuplab.
Speakers
In this first lecture, we provide a broad overview of the calm technology space. Our focus will be on the typical calm tech players, their focus areas, size and maturity as well as their strategies for funding new technology platforms. We also address the regulatory efforts that will need to go alongside innovation, including the role of the EU in existing and forthcoming regulations. Finally, we ask what would be required, beyond the ongoing efforts, to create a healthier and more sustainable human-technology relationships.
JunoMobil is a startup mobile company that will go live in Norway in 2026. Our main mission is to help individuals and families make better tech choices and reduce screen time and data usage. We aim to do this through communicating up to date research and information, as well as providing services and products that help foster better tech habits.
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