A short history of “Access to Knowledge”

There was a time, when the collective knowledge of mankind was confined to a select group of individuals (the scholars and clergy). In a world where the majority couldn’t read or write, the ‘written word’, as a record of knowledge, was considered ‘sacred’ (of extreme importance and value). Texts were painstakingly transcribed by hand, replicated by individuals who dedicated their lives to preserving knowledge through the generations. This precious knowledge was primarily disseminated to the masses, at gatherings, where the literate would read ‘the word’ aloud, sparking a flame of understanding in the otherwise dark room of illiteracy.

A significant “game-changer” in our story appeared in the form of the printing press. This marvellous invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, completely transformed the way knowledge was reproduced and shared or distributed. Suddenly, the ‘sacred’ books of knowledge, could be copied at a speed unheard of, making them more widely available. Yet, the books, or record of knowledge, still mostly remained in ‘institutions’ – schools, universities, public libraries, and churches – that held the keys to this knowledge.

As society advanced, and prosperity increased, so did personal ownership of books. Books filled the shelves of homes, public libraries became a common sight in every town, and education in schools, to provide the basic skills of literacy (the ability to read and write, to access the knowledge) became increasingly accessible to all, not just the privileged few. Knowledge began to seep out from the confines of ‘institutions’ and the ‘sacred books’, and became a public asset, generally available to all.

Then came the age of communication technology - telephones, telegrams, telex, and fax machines started connecting people across diverse geo-graphic locations, in unprecedented ways, and knowledge started to travel through wires (and eventually through airwaves). Information could be transmitted quickly and easily, and at ever increasing speeds at which knowledge and information could be disseminated.

Then came the “internet” - initially a tool for research institutions to share resources and streamline work, it evolved into an omnipresent “knowledge network” with the advent of the “hyperlink”. The idea that a piece of knowledge could refer to another, eliminating the need for repetition while maintaining the reference, was transformative. Knowledge was no longer static; it was interconnected and dynamic.

As the Internet grew beyond academic walls, search engines like Google provided organised references and easy access to the vast expanse of the knowledge base of information. Suddenly, everyone who had internet access, and the ability to read, could dip into this vast ocean of knowledge. Information was no longer a privilege of the few, but a right of the many. To understand the ‘power’ that access to?information holds, consider how the first thing a tyrannical group does, if they want to control people, is restrict or control access to information, or how political groups try to control the media.

Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves on the cusp of a new revolution in knowledge access - generative AI and natural language machine learning. With these advanced technologies, not only do we have access to an almost infinite pool of knowledge, but we also have the ability to easily and quickly query this vast resource of the human “knowledge base”, to answer specific questions, with a reasonable (although not perfect) level of accuracy (certainly with more capacity than any single human could on such a vast array of subjects). Generative AI is like having a highly knowledgeable or intelligent assistant, at our fingertips, ready to help to decode the mysteries of the world (provided you ask the right questions).

Here is the challenge. As “access” to knowledge becomes a quick, easy, cheap “commodity”, we might take it for granted, and forget to recognise, and appreciate the importance and value (the sacredness) of human knowledge that has been gained over time.

Henry Ford once said, "..the only real security that a person will have in this world, is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability…".?I think we can safely say that the “reserve of knowledge” available to each of us now, is nearly infinite, as is our ability to tap into it. But what does this mean in relation to our “abilities and experiences” as we face the future?

With an unprecedented abundance of information and knowledge at our fingertips, we have an unlimited opportunity to enhance our abilities and enrich our experiences in ways that were unimaginable in the past. How we choose to utilize this vast resource is now the crucial question. We have a responsibility, to ourselves, our families, our communities, and humanity at large, to use these capabilities in responsible ways, to explore and understand our world in better ways, to foster new skills, solve complex problems, create and innovate, to make a better world.

Ultimately, the power of this infinite reserve of knowledge lies in how we, as individuals and as a society, choose to engage with it. In a world where ‘access to knowledge’ is no longer a barrier, our challenge and responsibility is to transform this knowledge into wisdom and use it to shape a better future.

So, here we are, each one of us, standing on the shoulders of centuries of knowledge seekers and technological advancements. The journey has brought humanity to a place where knowledge is more accessible than ever. Each of us are now the privileged and literate scholars or gatekeepers of “the sacred word” which is information and knowledge of how the world was in the past, is in the present, and will become in the future. This is “truth” as we know it – the collective knowledge resource over time.

Of course, we don’t know what the future holds? (as knowledge only refers to what is known, or what has happened). But one thing's for sure, as long as there's curiosity, we'll continue to seek for more knowledge, learning, and expanding the boundaries of our collective knowledge, to solve big problems and challenges. That is what progress is all about. As we grapple with this idea of an almost unlimited “access” to immense reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability that's at our disposal, we can only marvel at what the next chapter of our journey holds.