Several important problem areas in IT will be presented from the perspectives of both IT and statistics, with ample opportunity for questions and discussion. The report presents a compelling case that economic and social benefits of IT cannot be realized without massive, continuing investment in IT research and development. This agenda clearly calls for important research in computer science and social science. However, the implications for the discipline of statistics are only beginning to be articulated, and the workshop is meant to accelerate that process.
Some implications seem clear.
New statistical methods that work in the staggeringly complex settings of the future must be created, in collaboration with the other disciplines. Risks and uncertainties must be quantified. Comprehensible presentation and visualization of results to multiple audiences are crucial. None of these areas has received the necessary attention, and will not without focused, cross-disciplinary collaborations. The workshop's purpose is to describe the problems that arise, how they might be formulated and what statistical details and ramifications are involved.