Generally, adoption of new software doesn’t seem to increase productivity metrics. Why? They need to be incredibly specific to actually do their jobs well. In contrast to general purpose technologies (GPTs), which create “broad-based productivity growth” because they’re easy to implement, specialised software is difficult to adopt. Software needs to be programmed precisely so as not to make mistakes, which means it doesn’t work (at least, without tweaks) across a multitude of companies.
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Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
