Digitalisation in my work
In my own work, I consider advanced technical design softwares to be one of the most significant benefits of digitalization. This software can be used to model the needs and characteristics of a new radio network designed for local needs with a high degree of accuracy. These software programs are often backed by massive data repositories on things like terrain, vegetation, and built infrastructure. This data has a major impact on the propagation of radio waves and, consequently on the functionality of mobile phone networks. Changes in built-up areas in city centers are a particularly good example of where modern design software is an excellent aid for professionals. In the past, collecting the data needed for this kind of planning was laborious and slow, and sometimes even impossible without conducting practical experiments on site which ment lots of work hours.
However, it should be remembered that collecting data resources such as those mentioned above could not have happened overnight. For example, terrain models for use in microwave areas have only become sufficiently accurate thanks to modern technology in the last ten years or so. In addition, changes in the built environment in particular are now significant from a mobile communications perspective and require the use of up-to-date information in planning. In practice, large mass data sets require continuous database updates. This is done, for example, with regard to terrain and building data resources by means of annual laser scanning carried out by aircraft. The use and simulation of various data models locally would often not be possible or reasonable if I could not utilize API interface queries from various data services in my design work. I can also implement models that require greater computing power using virtual servers. With this arrangement, there is no need to store large amounts of data locally or maintain expensive technology, as long as the network connections are working.
I have noticed that digitalization does not necessarily always mean low costs, as collecting large data reserves and ensuring data integrity on servers, for example, still entails high costs, which are ultimately passed on to service users.
Overall, it could be said that design work has become easier and faster thanks to digitalization, but this has not necessarily reduced overall costs. However, there is no doubt that professionals’ use of time for work has become more efficient. Nevertheless, a skilled professional must still ultimately check and approve the final design for any errors. In the future, developing artificial intelligence solutions will likely take design work to a new level, where several modeling options can be viewed virtually side by side and the most suitable one can be selected. Artificial intelligence will also play a major role in software development. To teach it, real-time data could be collected in the future, for example, on the impact of local changing conditions on the performance of the mobile phone network, but in this case, the security risks associated with data sharing should be carefully considered and protective measures should be taken to maintain the company’s competitiveness.
General Data Protection Regulation
The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) was drafted with a few key objectives in mind, which together are intended to protect citizens’ personal data and privacy within the EU and to harmonize data protection legislation across the European Union. In my opinion, one of the key objectives of the GDPR, strengthening privacy protection, has been quite successful. It is now possible to obtain your own data from all registers where it may have been stored, such as healthcare systems or online store order systems. The regulation also provides clear procedures for deleting or correcting personal data.
In my own work, the implementation of the GDPR has clearly improved the transparency of data protection. The regulation now clearly defines the purpose and manner of processing personal data. Now, for example, in interviews, assessments, and security clearances, individuals are given written information about what data will be stored in each situation and why.
In practice, I have noticed that one of the objectives of the GDPR—improving data security—has been quite successful. It has forced companies to invest more in the technical security of customer data storage, and in general, I think that data security monitoring and implementation are working at a fairly good level. Of course, the occasional news stories about personal data being leaked as a result of data breaches are not a good or acceptable thing. Although the responsibility and obligation to process personal data is well described in the GDPR, perhaps more effort should be put into monitoring it in the future. The amount of open data in the digital society is constantly growing, which I believe is a step forward. Access to services is becoming easier and faster, and money can also be saved when overlapping registers can be reduced. Regulation and supervision are needed to secure the most important data – personal identification data. Every citizen also has the right to refuse to share sensitive information between different systems, and in their personal lives, people should think carefully about what information they want to share about themselves, especially with open systems and services
My experiences with artificial intelligence
I have used both Chat GPT and Co-Pilot AI services to some extent in my work. I have noticed that you need to be careful when phrasing questions in order to get the right answers. If you ask the AI a poorly defined question about a technical issue, you may get completely wrong results. For example, I compared the characteristics of diesel engines intended for marine use and found that some of the answers were significantly incorrect. In this case, the incorrect results were probably due to topics on various online discussion forums, where I found the same incorrect information that the AI gave me. I checked the correct information in the manufacturer’s original manuals. This case reinforced my view that, when it comes to open sources, AI responses should be treated with caution if the issue is more complex than trivial general knowledge. I also tried out the AI-generated summary when it was given reliable text as source material. In this case, there were practically no factual errors.
Self-evaluation
The digitalization of society is a constantly advancing and evolving process. The transition of services to digital platforms and the integration of various types of mass data seem to be continuing at an accelerating pace. In my work, I have found that digitalization has made it easier to perform complex and time-consuming work tasks, but at the same time, I have noticed that it requires faster replacement of IT equipment with newer models. Preparing for modern information security threats and meeting the requirements set by the GDPR, for example, have also significantly increased ICT costs compared to ten years ago.
I myself have found digitalization to be a good thing for the most part, but I am somewhat concerned about the development of digital skills among senior citizens. Being a digital citizen requires continuous learning, even though public e-services, for example, are already at a fairly good level in terms of accessibility and usability. Navigating the jungle of different applications and portals, for example in public services, can be challenging for older people. For people who are digitally native, this development is natural, but there are still generations in society for whom digitalization is still somewhat unfamiliar and new. This will certainly require continued support from society and businesses.
In terms of personal information security and expertise, I feel that I am up to date in my profession. Preparing for societal change and new cyber threats will continue to require updating information on a personal level. On the other hand, I feel that it is part of everyday life, based on the ability to provide citizens with up-to-date information and guidance on cyber threats, for example. Digital skills, which include information security skills for every citizen, are already a new civic skill.
Blogs I have commented: