Social Impacts of Computing (SioC)

The Social Impacts of Computing (SioC) community group is dedicated to exploring and shaping the evolving relationship between computing and society. We examine how computing technologies impact human flourishing, develop ethical frameworks for their application, and foster transdisciplinary collaboration to address societal challenges.

SioC comprises Boise State faculty from a wide range of disciplines, including data management and visualization, business management, computer science, public policy and administration, philosophy, nursing, history, and cultural studies, as well as industry/community partners with interests in the social impacts of computational innovations, particularly in fields such as machine learning, robotics and generative AI.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SioC 2025: Emerging Technologies & Well‑Being !!!

SioC 2025 invites educators, technologists, industry leaders, public‑sector partners, students, and curious citizens from across Idaho to explore one urgent question: How are today’s emerging technologies reshaping individual and collective well‑being and how can we guide that change for the better.

Details Coming Soon!!

2025 AI Institute for Teaching & Learning 3-day Workshop

Members of the SioC community are contributing to The School for the Digital Future's AI Institute. This workshop is for Boise State University faculty and staff, both campus and remote, to join the three‑day 2025 AI Institute for Teaching & Learning, held May 19‑21 in The Space’s Incubator Room (with online access for distance instructors). Over the workshop, participants will develop human-centered, ethical, and foundational AI competencies and modify their course design to improve student engagement which may include integrating AI tools into their pedagogical practices in the 2025‑2026 academic year. By equipping educators with concrete skills and a shared ethical framework, the Institute aims to help teachers grapple with the ethics and articulation of AI tools for teaching and learning.

PAST EVENTS

SioC creates an inclusive space for open dialogue on the social impacts of computing, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. On March 28, 2025, SioC members presented a panel at Hackfort in Boise.
Panel: AI and the Future of Work. This room was filled with concerned community members and students seeking perspectives on the impact of emerging computing technologies on career sectors and how this impact will affect students and the working community.

SioC actively collaborates with local businesses and community organizations to create programs that address the evolving needs of the workforce in a compute-centric world. These partnerships enhance educational opportunities and contribute to regional development. In collaboration with the School of Computing, School for the Digital Future, and College of Innovation and Design, and hosted by Hawley Troxell, the AI Scenario Planning workshop was a two‑hour, invitation‑only session that brought executives, academics, and policymakers together to “pressure‑test” four plausible futures for generative AI by mapping fast‑ vs. slow‑adoption dynamics in both industry and the workforce. Through quadrant‑based breakouts and a plenary debrief, participants identified risks, opportunities, and research priorities—ranging from skills gaps to regulatory hurdles—to inform Idaho’s business, education, and policy strategies for the next decade.

Ed Ferrier's Human and Machine Intelligence course featured a series of guest lectures by IT/AI industry partners and Boise State faculty. The lectures discussed real-world applications of current AI tools, the nature of intelligence, the future of AI technologies, and the challenges of integrating human and artificial intelligence. These lectures were open to the community.

Many SioC members are also active in a local AI and cybersecurity group, Unstoppables AI, and host an AI Brown Bag on campus. Read the Campus artificial intelligence group builds real life connections report from April 22, 2025 to learn more.

Hangouts!

The SioC Community met bi-weekly throughout the 2024-2025 academic year at various locations. Members from the community, faculty from a wide range of departments, and students came for donuts and unstructured discussions. Zoom was provided for our friends at CWI and remote workers.

By organizing workshops, seminars, and transdisciplinary discussions, SioC fosters innovative learning experiences that encourage critical thinking about the societal impacts of computing. Students, faculty, and community members explore conflicting but equally legitimate values surrounding computing’s social impact. This commitment enriches the academic environment and supports the university's dedication to responsible and ethical innovative education.

SioC 2024 was a two-day workshop designed to enhance communication and collaboration between Treasure Valley IT consumers, creators and faculty and staff from Boise State and other higher ed institutions in the region working on the broad societal implications of new computational technologies (e.g. generative AI, ubiquitous data, virtual and augmented reality etc.).

2024 Workshop Testimonials

Dwight Pond

Noah Riley

Kevin Rank

On April 5th 2024, Dr Farrier facilitated a panel consisting of Dr. Blomquist, Dt. Stelbotsky, and Lorraine Gaudio on "Effective uses of AI for Thesis and dissertation preparation. This was part of the AI in Research and Creative Activity April 2024 Workshop series and at the Graduate Student Open House at Boise State University.

Jason Blomquist (School of Nursing)

Spring 2024: Love Data Week

The Social Impacts of Computing (SIoC) group and the Library are pairing up to host a roundtable luncheon in celebration of International Love Data Week.

The theme of the roundtable discussion: Data Justice: Inclusion or Exclusion? aims to explore the motivations and potential harms and benefits for collecting and sharing data. The conversation will center around (a) the implications of living in a datafied society, especially for disenfranchised individuals and communities and (b) how we might rise to the challenge of utilizing data in more conscientious ways.

Fall 2023 Speaker Series

09/11: Dr. Steven Hyde, Management, "A machine learning model for text-based deception detection"

10/02: Brittany O'Meara & Jenny Lawrence, Writing Studies, "Rethinking Writing and Learning in a Generative AI World"

10/30: Dr. Leif Nelson, OIT, "One hundred (+) years of behaviorist technology in education: where is came from and why it persists"

11/13: Dr. Ellie Dworak, Research Data Librarian, "Robot at the Reference Desk"

March 24, 2023 Panel: The Impact of AI on Higher Education

L-R: Casey Kennington (Department of Computer Science), Shawn Brenner (College of Innovation and Design), Steven Hyde (Department of Management), Edward Ferrier (Department of Philosophy), Tod Colegrove (Albertsons Library), Brett Shelton (Department of Educational Technology), Craig Peariso (Department of Art, Design and Visual Studies), Leslie Madsen (Department of History), Melissa Keith (Department of Writing Studies)