Technology & Transformation without social inclusion drives the world to be a better place for the lucky minority!

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As we pass the first half of 2019, I was just reflecting on an article I wrote at the end of 2018. Unfortunately there is only deterioration in governance and leadership in Washington. This has fostered a world with strain on long standing alliances and has allowed to create a “new normal” of unethical and criminal behaviors by many countries and leaders, normalized by the so called “leader of the free world”!

The most admired checks and balances based democratic system in the world is being tested on every day basis to its limits! between the "three co-(un)equal branches" based system as we witness!

The culture of celebrating differences have deteriorated to not even tolerating differences in many parts of the world with leading this shameless normalization trend from Washington!

I am afraid that a technology and transformation powered by micro-controllers, software and displays is inevitable beyond the hype cycle of bitcoin, AI, ML and cloud. Life Science is indeed another domain which is at the verge of transformational progress with fusion of computing and biology.

When the dust settles after the hype cycles; robotics, automation, AI and ML will further drive efficiency and productivity in every aspects of businesses, with inevitable increase in social pain and imbalance around the world with a disproportionate negative impact on developing countries. 

Unfortunately, all the progress and transformation without inclusion will drive further disparity and disenfranchisement with more human pain, hopelessness and inequality. This will drive more chaos, protests and violence!.

In 1948 , United Nations has proclaimed the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”(UDHR) with 30 articles! . Today with 193 member states , and 71 years later , there is not even one country, rich or poor , developed or developing , which can say that they have achieved sustainable progress on a good sub set of these 30 articles! 

https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Let us look at especially article 25 and 26 of UDHR and let us review the progress in the wealthy and so called “progressive” countries around the world. 

Article 25.(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services....

Article 26.(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory....

Yes , we have seen a lot of progress in science and technology. But we live in a world where a disproportionate minority only gets to enjoy the benefits of science and technology for a long time. Life expectancy on an average has improved significantly to ~71+ for kids born in 2018. But average doesn't tell the story of unavoidable deaths among the 55+ million who die every year in our planet because of the lack of the basic right of article 25 of UDHR.

Irrespective of faith and hope, we haven't seen any evidence of anyone coming back from previous life to live a "better life" as a "second chance"!. So the conversations about multigenerational progress for "basic rights" is really meaningless for the unfortunate ones who are not in the lucky minority during their precious life time!

Can we ever really solve the world hunger? Perhaps not...

UN is a great institution and its governance has contributed immensely to create a better world, but the pace of progress is too slow in a world where everyone only have an average of 70 years to live!. The great progresses are also meaningless for the ones who didn't make it to the lucky minority in their life time!.

As we are in for a massive change in the world during the next decade with automation, robotics, AI and ML , we may see an unprecedented reality of many who barely made it to the middle class falling behind at an alarming rate. This can create more disparity and pain for societies and communities around the world. All governing institutions like UN and governments have to find ways to offer a tangible social net through this transition to make it less painful for the unfortunate victims of this change!

I hope the world leaders during the next decades are different than what we have today in recognizing the need of inclusion and a tangible social net during an unprecedented transformational change.

As the technology transformation delivers the next step change in the world across all areas of life, improving efficiency and experience for the generations to come, we must not forget the reality of unplanned pain it can cause to many around the world.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect any opinions or views of any organizations or businesses the author is associated with currently or in the past.