Only Humans can save themselves
Nicolas Berggruen
Founder & Chairman at Berggruen Institute; Founder & Investment Advisor at Berggruen Holdings
Technology has continuously helped humans advance, providing benefits to all, but also?empowering some more than others.
In the post Cold War era of global consensus and cooperation, leaps in science and technology were for the advantage of all, distributed and shared broadly, reinforcing the common narrative.?
We are now experiencing the reemergence of strong local traditions and cultures, both at the national level and within countries.
We lived in a fantasy that all humans wanted the same things and could come together. Instead we have reverted to tribalism.?
The strengthening of identities and diversity can be celebrated, yet makes it hard to cooperate on issues that affect the planet, from health, climate to security and tech.
Technology leverages trends and accentuates societal phenomena.
For example, intellectual property becomes more valuable in the digital economy, making its owners only richer, exacerbating inequality. Other examples: Chinese preference for control is further enabled by facial recognition, forcing transparency, or in the West, blockchain empowers individual autonomy but also privatizes IP.?
For all the hype of the metaverse, decentralization and the death of nations, we are witnessing the revenge of the physical world with the pandemic and the climate crisis, and the return of local cultures both dividing nations and reverting to regional hubs, from Russia, to China, or the US. War, sickness and fires are physical, as are an embrace, a swim, a warm wind or an ice cream.?
领英推荐
What will save or destroy humans is not technology, but our ability to coexist and cooperate between cultures and nations. Paradoxically, at a time when younger generations seem to not have roots - connecting across borders and civilizations - world regional powers are each hardening their local stance and are unable to collaborate. No surprise that the youth is frustrated with politicians and politics.
Science and technology indeed help us progress, but we must recognize these as tools, not as (ethical, behavioral and spiritual) guides to living.?
In an environment where divisions are increasing and technology empowers ever more, we need to give access and protection to all at some essential minimal levels. “Beneficial” technology for all.?
We are still under the illusion that technology leads to ultimate enlightenment. Yet, we remain in the hands of humans. That’s why the world’s key powers (US, China, EU, India and Russia) must be at a round table to cooperate on planetary issues.?
Technology isn’t our savior, future humans are at the mercy of humans.?
We must endeavor to develop an ethos for the species.?
The day technology saves us, we become disposable.?
The (re)tribalisation is a century long process triggered by the introduction of electronic media, it is only now that the effects of the disruption become highly visible. In this period we have immensely improved our communication technology, but with each improvement human communication became more difficult, a paradox created by insufficient technological literacy. This literacy is available but we did not include it in our schooling programs. Now we have to pay a hefty price as it is always the case with collective ignorance.