Mr. Courtney Bowman of Palantir Technologies, the firm that The Guardian just last week described as having “more influence over our lives than Google,” spoke to Alfred University students, faculty, and staff on September 5, 2017. He was accompanied by Taylor Stearns, a Palantir engineer who spoke here in April 2016.
Big Data is a field that crunches huge quantity of data to analyze and predict trends in many areas of contemporary life, from identifying terrorists to reinforcing civil rights. It is a form of data analytics employed by private corporations and by governmental departments, including the CIA and the Defense Department. Palantir–the name comes from a stone in the Harry Potter series that can identify locations, sort of like a crystal ball. It is well recognized that Big Data touches on ethical issues like privacy and surveillance.
The talk was especially relevant to students in business, engineering, math, and the sciences.